NFL Athletes in Good Hands With New Nike Glove Deal
27 October 2007 - 2:36AM
PR Newswire (US)
Expanded League Agreement Allows Players to Wear Nike Gloves
On-Field BEAVERTON, Ore., Oct. 26 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Nike
today announced the formation of a deeper integration with the
National Football League by expanding its current footwear and
promotional rights agreement with the League to include branded
gloves on-field and at retail and grassroots programming. The new
deal will commence in week eight of the 2007 NFL season, beginning
with games on Sunday, October 28, in which athletes will be able to
wear Nike gloves displaying the Swoosh logo on-field for the first
time in more than six years. (Logo:
http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/19990818/NIKELOGO) Nike
currently has endorsement agreements with more than 70 percent of
the active players in the NFL including All-Pros LaDainian
Tomlinson, Tom Brady, Shawne Merriman, Brian Urlacher and stand-out
rookie Adrian Peterson. Nike provides these players with the
best-selling performance footwear and gloves in football. The Air
Zoom Assassin and Air Zoom Blade Pro D are two of players'
preferred cleats, while the Magnigrip Elite Remix (best-selling
glove on the market this season) and the Speedtack IV (among the
Top 5 selling gloves for more than three years running) are the
most popular performance gloves. These styles are available to all
performance players at Niketown and other Nike retail outlets. As a
part of the expanded agreement Nike and the NFL will work in
partnership on grassroots programs that encourage physical activity
among youth. Nike's "Let Me Play" program, which empowers kids
through sport, will work in tandem with the NFL's "Play 60"
initiative, a program designed to motivate and inspire youth to get
60 minutes of exercise a day. Additionally, Nike will provide
promotional support to the NFL Flag Football program as part of the
expanded agreement. "We value this deep integration with the
National Football League on every level, from grassroots through
the highest level of the game, "said John Slusher, Nike's Vice
President of Global Sports Marketing. "The retail opportunities and
visibility associated with the NFL's on-field product is important,
and we are equally excited to join forces in our commitment to
youth activity through sport." Per Nike policy, terms of the deal
are not disclosed. NIKE, Inc. based near Beaverton, Oregon, is the
world's leading designer, marketer and distributor of authentic
athletic footwear, apparel, equipment and accessories for a wide
variety of sports and fitness activities. Wholly owned Nike
subsidiaries include Cole Haan Holdings Incorporated, a leading
designer and marketer of luxury shoes, handbags, accessories and
coats; Converse Inc., which designs, markets and distributes
athletic footwear, apparel and accessories; Exeter Brands Group
LLC, which designs and markets athletic footwear and apparel for
the value retail channel; Hurley International LLC, which designs,
markets and distributes action sports and youth lifestyle footwear,
apparel and accessories and NIKE Bauer Hockey Inc., a leading
designer and distributor of hockey equipment.
http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/19990818/NIKELOGO
http://photoarchive.ap.org/ DATASOURCE: NIKE, Inc. CONTACT: New
York Media Relations of NIKE, Inc., +1-212-367-4447 Web site:
http://www.nikebiz.com/
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