Hyundai New Official Sponsor Of NFL, Official Truck Title Open To Others
Are you ready for some football? Along with some bulgogi and a pack of Hite? Hyundai is, as it is the new official automotive sponsor of the NFL.
According to ESPN, Hyundai will pay $50 million per year for the honor of taking up where General Motors will leave off beginning this season, The Detroit News reports. However, the deal only covers cars; the NFL can still award an “Official Truck of the NFL” to a sponsor of its choosing, so long as it doesn’t compete with Hyundai. The automaker’s official titles include car, SUV and luxury vehicle of the NFL.
Though GM no longer is the official sponsor — it cancelled its $25 million/year agreement with the league earlier this year, bringing an end to a relationship begun in 2001 — truck brand GMC will still have a presence on ESPN’s “Monday Night Football.”
Hyundai’s sponsorship of the NFL joins other automakers and brands in the game, including Kia’s relationship with the NBA, Chevrolet providing trucks with “technology and stuff” to Major League Baseball, Honda skating to where the puck will be for the NHL, and Audi shooting the winning goal into the back of the net for Major League Soccer.
The first instance of Hyundai’s new relationship will appear September 10, where the automaker will have a major presence during NFL Kickoff festivities.
(Photo credit: Hyundai)
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So, what's really going to change? From one purveyor of Korean automobiles (Chevrolet) to another. Life goes on.
Makes sense for GM to drop this. No sense of paying out all that cash because I bet the increased sales from spending $25M on this ad campaign are probably next to nil after all these years.
"pack of Hite?" Ugh, from first-hand experience I can tell you just don't bother. Get yourself some soju and some apple or pomegranate juice, and have at it!
Maybe I'm clueless to subliminal manipulation, but I have never made even the most minor purchase - let alone a buy a car! - because of any high profile sponsorship.