“The ‘Toughest Sport on Dirt’ now has an equally tough tire partner,” said Randy Bernard, CEO, PBR, Inc. “We think the global reach of our series and our diverse group of riders and fans make a strong match with a company like Cooper Tire. Our sponsors make it possible for us to put on these unique events and preserve the great American tradition of professional bull riding; without them it would not be possible.”
“The PBR provides Cooper Tire with a unique and exclusive opportunity to engage with a passionate fan base through in-arena activities, advertising and promotional programs,” said Dave Craig, Director of Advertising for Cooper Tire. “Cooper Tire is the official tire of the Professional Bull Riders, a platform which extends our marketing reach and complements our other exciting marketing activities with nearly 100 million incremental impressions in the U.S. and more than 350 million impressions worldwide.”
In its 16 years, the PBR has become the premier association for bull riders and has taken the sport from a time slot in traditional rodeos to a stand-alone event with network coverage on NBC, FOX, VERSUS, CMT and Telemundo, including its own reality show. The PBR has over 1,200 bull riders competing in more than 300 PBR sanctioned competitions in the United States, Australia, Brazil, Canada, and Mexico. PBR currently operates four domestic tours, including the Built Ford Tough Series presented by Wrangler, Copenhagen Bull Riding Challenger Tour, Enterprise Rent-A-Car Tour and Discovery Tour.
“One of our marketing goals for long-term brand growth is to create awareness for the brand through partnerships with properties where the Cooper brand can have a strong position and role as a primary sponsor, communicating our message that Cooper Tire is on the cutting-edge of professional sports entertainment,” said Craig. “We have accomplished this for 2008 with venues such as the Champ Car Atlantic Series, the ABC Sports College Halftime show and now PBR. Sponsorships continue to be an important way for us to connect with tire-buying consumers on a first-hand basis.”
Cooper Tire will primarily be involved with the PBR’s Built Ford Tough Series. Cooper, whose brand tag line is “Don’t Give up a Thing,” will promote the partnership with dealers, customers and PBR fans via traditional and online marketing campaigns. Cooper will also receive premium exposure at live PBR events and through global televised and print media coverage.
About Cooper Tire & Rubber Company
Cooper Tire & Rubber Company is a global company that specializes in the design, manufacture, marketing and sales of passenger car, light truck, medium truck tires and subsidiaries that specialize in motorcycle and racing tires. With headquarters in Findlay, Ohio, Cooper Tire has 66 manufacturing, sales, distribution, technical and design facilities within its family of companies located around the world. For more information, visit Cooper Tire’s web site at www.coopertire.com.
About Professional Bull Riders, Inc.
Based in Colorado, PBR is the premier bull riding organization in the world, boasting contestants from the United States, Mexico, Australia, Brazil, and Canada. More than 100 million viewers tune in each year to the PBR on FOX, NBC, VERSUS and on a host of foreign networks across the globe. With approximately 400 hours of prime time programming annually PBR ranks among the most prolific sports on air, in addition to attracting over one and one half million live event attendees each year with its multi-tiered event structure. For more information, visit www.pbrnow.com.
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