Bridgestone Americas Inc. is taking its Olympic support one step farther and will sponsor a premier figure skating event. The 2017 Bridgestone Skate America will feature 60 of the top skaters from around the world.
The 2017 Bridgestone Skate America will take place Nov. 24-26 in Lake Placid, N.Y. Bridgestone says its sponsorship of the event is the centerpiece of an extensive new partnership for 2017-2018 with U.S. Figure Skating, the national governing body for the sport in the U.S.
Bridgestone also is a Worldwide Olympic Partner, plus a partner of the U.S. Olympic Committee and U.S. Paralympics through 2024. Bridgestone also became the first founding partner of the Olympic Channel in August 2016, signing a four-year agreement to support the digital platform.
“We are honored to have a company of Bridgestone’s stature associated with Skate America and as a partner of U.S. Figure Skating,” says David Raith, U.S. Figure Skating's executive director. “We have been impressed by Bridgestone’s commitment to supporting the Olympic movement and we look forward to working closely with them to showcase our great sport and dedicated athletes to the world.”
In addition to becoming the naming rights sponsor for this year’s final Grand Prix event, Bridgestone will serve as the official tire of U.S. Figure Skating and will receive a robust media schedule, including in-broadcast branded features during figure skating coverage on NBC and NBCSN throughout the season. NBCUniversal will provide more than 10 hours of coverage of 2017 Bridgestone Skate America, including live windows on NBC Saturday, Nov. 25 (4-6 p.m. ET) and Sunday, Nov. 26 (4-6 p.m. ET).
Earlier this year, Bridgestone inked endorsement deals with five 2018 U.S. Olympic hopefuls, including figure skaters Ashely Wagner and Nathan Chen, who will represent the company as a part of Team Bridgestone. Wagner, a three-time U.S. Champion, is the 2017 U.S. silver medalist, while Chen followed-up his 2017 U.S. title by capturing the gold medal at the 2017 Four Continents Championships. Both were members of the 2017 U.S. Figure Skating World Team.
“We are thrilled to partner with U.S. Figure Skating on the Road to PyeongChang,” says Philip Dobbs, chief marketing officer for Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations LLC. “Figure Skating is one of the most iconic winter sports and we are proud to support its events, including 2017 Bridgestone Skate America, and its athletes here in the U.S. this season. Not only does this new partnership continue our longstanding commitment to sport — and to Ashley and Nathan — but it is another exciting milestone for our company as we embark on our first Olympic Winter Games.”
Bridgestone will receive extensive on-site brand visibility during Skate America, plus signage and activation rights around the 2017 Prudential U.S. Figure Skating Championships, Dec. 29, 2017, through Jan. 7, 2018, in San Jose, Calif.
