WHITE PLAINS, N.Y.,
May 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/
-- Today, Heineken® announced it will become the
presenting sponsor and official beer of the International Champions
Cup (ICC), the premier pre-season soccer tournament that brings the
world's best clubs to the United
States. Heineken and Relevent Sports have agreed to a
multi-year partnership that begins this summer with national retail
promotions and match day activities. Heineken and ESPN have also
reached a media agreement that will extend Heineken's presenting
sponsor position across all ESPN broadcasts of ICC matches.
"Soccer has been a central tenet of Heineken's global heritage,
and our sponsorship of International Champions Cup solidifies our
role in sustaining soccer's fantastic momentum in the U.S.," said
Nuno Teles, Chief Marketing Officer
of HEINEKEN USA. "Together we will
be bringing some of the best European soccer stars to the states,
elevating the experience for fans and cementing soccer's role in
the national
consciousness."
As presenting sponsor, Heineken will continue its dedication to
the sport in the United States and
steadfast belief that "Soccer is Here." Through platforms like the
ICC, Major League Soccer (MLS), Union of European Football
Associations (UEFA) Champions League and with spokespeople like
soccer stars David Villa,
Landon Donovan and Carli Lloyd, Heineken is highlighting the
beautiful game to both long-term and casual fans in America.
The partnership between Heineken and Relevent Sports will not
only bring American fans captivating European stars, it will also
deliver on premise events, unique fan experiences, ticket
giveaways, and digital content campaigns. "Heineken is a dynamic
brand, with a proven track record of activating its partnerships
and authentically connecting with soccer fans. The ICC represents
an ideal platform to curate custom brand campaigns, and we are
thrilled to build something special with Heineken this summer and
beyond," said Bob Brennfleck, CEO,
Ascendent Sports Group.
"This partnership has the ability to reach a cohort of sports
fans that perfectly aligns with our target market," said Teles.
"Soccer has the highest percentage of millennial fans of any major
U.S. sport, and it is a way for us to advocate for the growth of
soccer together."
"Relevent Sports is thrilled to partner with Heineken for the
2016 ICC and beyond," said Charlie
Stillitano, chairman of Relevent Sports. "Heineken is a
major player in the soccer world and the partnership demonstrates
the growth and global appeal of the ICC both domestically and
abroad. We look forward to working together with Heineken and
continuing our tremendous success."
The 2016 ICC will run from July 23
through August 13 featuring 15 matches across the United States and Europe. Each club will play three contests and
the club with the most points at the end of the tournament will be
crowned champion. Today, ICC also announced that La Liga champions
FC Barcelona and English giants Liverpool F.C. will meet on
Saturday, August 6 at Wembley Stadium
in London, England as part of the
2016 International Champions Cup Presented by Heineken®.
Full schedule as follows:
DATE
|
MATCHUP
|
VENUE/CITY
|
|
|
|
JULY 23
|
CELTIC v. LEICESTER
CITY
|
TBD
|
24
|
INTER MILAN v.
PSG
|
AUTZEN STADIUM –
EUGENE, OR
|
27
|
REAL MADRID v.
PSG
|
OHIO STADIUM –
COLUMBUS, OH
|
27
|
BAYERN MUNICH v. AC
MILAN
|
SOLDIER FIELD –
CHICAGO, IL
|
27
|
CHELSEA FC v.
LIVERPOOL
|
ROSE BOWL – LOS
ANGELES, CA
|
30
|
BARCELONA v.
CELTIC
|
AVIVA STADIUM –
DUBLIN, IRELAND
|
30
|
REAL MADRID v.
CHELSEA FC
|
MICHIGAN STADIUM –
ANN ARBOR, MI
|
30
|
AC MILAN v.
LIVERPOOL
|
LEVI'S STADIUM – SAN
FRANCISCO, CA
|
30
|
BAYERN MUNICH v.
INTER MILAN
|
BANK OF AMERICA
STADIUM – CHARLOTTE, NC
|
30
|
PSG v. LEICESTER
CITY
|
STUBHUB CENTER - LOS
ANGELES, CA
|
|
|
|
AUGUST 3
|
BARCELONA v.
LEICESTER CITY
|
FRIENDS ARENA –
STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN
|
3
|
REAL MADRID v. BAYERN
MUNICH
|
METLIFE STADIUM – NEW
YORK/NEW JERSEY
|
3
|
CHELSEA FC v. AC
MILAN
|
US BANK STADIUM –
MINNEAPOLIS, MN
|
6
|
BARCELONA v.
LIVERPOOL
|
WEMBLEY STADIUM –
LONDON, ENGLAND
|
13
|
CELTIC v. INTER
MILAN
|
TBD
|
For more information on Heineken and Relevent Sports, and their
ICC partnership, including exclusive content, live updates and
ticket giveaways promotions in the near future, please follow
Heineken on Twitter, @Heineken_US or visit the Heineken Facebook
page, www.facebook.com/Heineken, the Heineken YouTube page,
https://www.youtube.com/user/HeinekenUSA or the official Heineken
website, Heineken.com.
For more information on this summer's tournament, please follow
the ICC on Twitter @IntChampionsCup, visit the ICC Facebook page,
https://www.facebook.com/IntChampionsCup/ and the ICC Instagram
page at www.instagram.com/intchampionscup/
About HEINEKEN USA
HEINEKEN USA Inc., the nation's
leading upscale beer importer, is a subsidiary of HEINEKEN NV, the
world's most international brewer. Core brands imported into the
U.S. are Heineken®, the world's most international
premium beer brand, the Dos Equis franchise, the Tecate franchise
and Strongbow Hard Apple Ciders. HEINEKEN USA also imports Amstel Light, Newcastle Brown
Ale, Red Stripe, Sol, Indio, Carta Blanca and Bohemia brands. For
the latest information on our company and brands, follow us on
Twitter @HeinekenUSACorp, or visit HEINEKENUSA.com.
About Relevent Sports
Relevent Sports provides an innovative approach to building a
soccer presence in the United
States and around the globe. Through tournaments such as the
ICC, Relevent Sports showcases the best matchups in soccer
featuring the top clubs and players from around the world.
About the International Champions Cup
The International Champions Cup is an annual summer soccer
tournament organized by Relevent Sports, featuring the best clubs
from around the world. A staple property of Relevent Sports and RSE
Ventures, the International Champions Cup brings the best in soccer
to iconic sports venues across North
America, Australia,
Europe and China. The International Champions Cup has
hosted some of the most iconic matchups in the world, including the
largest attended soccer match in U.S. history, when 109,318 fans
saw Real Madrid and Manchester United play at the "Big House" at
the University of Michigan. In its
three-year history, Real Madrid, Manchester United and Paris
Saint-Germain have all won installments of the North American
tournament.
About Ascendent Sports Group
Founded in 2013 by Stephen M. Ross
and Matt Higgins, Ascendent Sports
Group is a dynamic, full-service marketing agency focused on
innovative sponsorship sales, brand consulting, and event
management and production within the global sports and
entertainment sectors. Ascendent Sports Group is owned by RSE
Ventures, a multi-national sports and entertainment venture firm
with a focus on new technologies.
CONTACT:
Bjorn Trowery
HEINEKEN USA
Btrowery@HeinekenUSA.com
914-681-4138
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