Sponsorship to include Customer sweepstakes
throughout the year, integrations in Southeastern Conference
Network programming, activations throughout the season and at major
Southeastern Conference championship events, and Surprise &
Delight moments
DALLAS, July 11,
2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Southwest Airlines
Co. (NYSE: LUV) today announces a new, multi-year
sponsorship agreement with the Southeastern Conference (SEC) and
SEC Network to be the "Official Airline of the SEC." The
deal—officially launched on July 1—will primarily highlight the
athletic contributions to SEC football, men's and women's
basketball, baseball, softball, gymnastics, and women's soccer.
To celebrate the sponsorship launch, Southwest® is
hosting the Flex Your Fandom Sweepstakes, offering entrants the
chance to be treated like an MVP with an opportunity to win an
ultimate getaway experience to the SEC Football
Championship1. Later this year, the airline will
host additional sweepstakes to award prizes, including packages to
the SEC Basketball Championship tournament, and an epic summer
getaway. To learn more and to enter, visit
southwestsecsweepstakes.com.
"Southwest Airlines is proud to be joining the SEC roster as the
airline of choice and getting sports fanatics to their favorite
games with ease," said Jennifer
Bridie, Vice President Marketing Communications &
Strategy at Southwest Airlines. "SEC fans have been flying with us
for decades, checking two free bags2 of gear,
rescheduling road games without fees3, and saving
flight credits for the year their team finally makes it to the
championship. With this unique opportunity, we're giving fans more
flexibility to join the action as they root for their favorite
teams and bringing them new opportunities throughout the season to
get to know the Southwest Brand even better."
Southwest created additional travel opportunities for college
football fans eager to cheer on their favorite team at some of the
season's biggest matchups. The airline added new routes and
additional service surrounding several SEC-centric showdowns,
including USC vs. LSU in the Vegas Kickoff Classic, Alabama at Wisconsin in
Week 3, Tennessee at Oklahoma in Week 4, and Georgia at Texas in
Week 8.
"With unmatched reach year-round, Disney is where the fans are,
across all sports and platforms, all the time. When it comes to
sports, we're in a league of our own," said Becca Vodnoy, SVP of Sales, Disney Advertising.
"With Southwest Airlines as the new Official Airline of the
Southeastern Conference, we're bringing passionate SEC fans
everywhere closer to the action."
The sponsorship includes integrating Southwest
Airlines® on SEC Network programming and within the SEC
footprint through SEC Nation, the network's traveling football
pre-game show. Southwest will also activate on-site at SEC FanFare
at the football championship in Atlanta and will have a presence at other
major SEC championship events, including women's and men's
basketball.
"The SEC is pleased Southwest Airlines has joined our official
sponsor program," said SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey. "The SEC sponsor program is
important to the mission of supporting our now 16 institutions and
Southwest Airlines makes stronger an already robust family of
sponsors for the Conference. We look forward to Southwest Airlines'
participation in our programming and championship events."
Even when in the air, SEC fans can watch select matchups
throughout the year via the Southwest Inflight Entertainment
Portal, which offers free Live TV channels4
including ESPN and ABC. Additionally, the carrier plans to surprise
Customers with pop-up activations on flights, providing giveaways
and fun moments as fans take to the skies.
Southwest also will activate content across SEC Network linear,
streaming, and social platforms beginning this college football
season. SEC Network and ESPN on-air personality Marty Smith will be featured in Southwest's
social media campaign. His first spot will take flight on launch
day, Thursday, July 11.
ABOUT THE SOUTHEASTERN CONFERENCE
A pioneer in the
integration of higher education and athletic competition, the
Southeastern Conference is a leader for intercollegiate athletics
in the 21st century. Since its formation in 1933, the SEC has
achieved stature and stability by designating governing/voting
power to the presidents of the member institutions. These
university leaders determine the policies of the conference and
through the years this involvement has been the principal source of
strength in the evolution of the SEC. Throughout its history,
the SEC has provided leadership on the vital issues facing
intercollegiate competition. Alabama, Auburn,
Florida, Georgia, Kentucky,
LSU, Mississippi, Mississippi
State, Tennessee and
Vanderbilt have been in the SEC since
its formation in 1933. The league has expanded three times,
adding Arkansas and South Carolina in 1991, Missouri and Texas
A&M in 2012, and Oklahoma
and Texas 2024.
ABOUT SEC NETWORK
The Southeastern Conference and ESPN
launched SEC Network on August 14,
2014. The network televises hundreds of games across the
SEC's 21 sports annually. Programming includes in-depth analysis
and storytelling in studio shows such as SEC
Nation, Marty & McGee, Out Of Pocket, Read &
React and Rally Cap, daily news and
information with The Paul Finebaum
Show and SEC Now, original content such
as TrueSouth, SEC
Storied and SEC Inside, and more. Hundreds of
additional live events are available for streaming exclusively on
SEC Network's digital companion, SEC Network+, via the ESPN App
and SECNetwork.com. Follow SEC Network on Instagram, TikTok,
Facebook and Twitter/X.
ABOUT SOUTHWEST AIRLINES CO.
Southwest Airlines
Co. operates one of the world's most admired and awarded
airlines, offering its one-of-a-kind value and Hospitality at 121
airports5 across 11 countries. Southwest took
flight in 1971 to democratize the sky through friendly, reliable,
and low-cost air travel and now carries more air travelers flying
nonstop within the United States
than any other airline6. Based in Dallas and famous for an Employee-first
corporate Culture, Southwest maintains an unprecedented record of
no involuntary furloughs or layoffs in its history. By empowering
its more than 74,0007 People to deliver
unparalleled Hospitality, the maverick airline cherishes a
passionate loyalty among more than 137 million Customers carried in
2023. That formula for success brought industry-leading prosperity
and 47 consecutive years8 of profitability
for Southwest Shareholders (NYSE: LUV). Southwest leverages a
unique legacy and mission to serve communities around the world
including harnessing the power of its People and Purpose to put
communities at the Heart of its success. Learn more by visiting
Southwest.com/citizenship. As the airline with Heart,
Southwest has set a goal to work toward achieving net zero carbon
emissions by 20509. Southwest has also set
near-term targets and a three-pillar strategy to achieve its
environmental goals. Learn more by visiting
Southwest.com/planet.
1 NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR
WIN. A PURCHASE WILL NOT INCREASE YOUR CHANCES OF WINNING. Open
to legal residents of 50 United States and the District of Columbia
(excluding Alaska, New York, and
Rhode Island) age 18 or older at time
of entry. Void where prohibited. Limit one entry per person. All
fields must be completed. Approximate retail value of prize:
$13,422. For complete details and
Official Rules, visit southwestSECsweepstakes.com. By submitting
this entry, you agree to the Official Rules. By entering,
information collected will be used in accordance with Sponsor's
Privacy Policy at https://www.southwest.com/privacy/. Sponsor:
Southwest Airlines Co., 2702 Love Field Drive, Dallas, TX 75235. Enter by Oct. 27, 2024, at 11:59pm
Eastern Time.
2 First and second
checked bags. Weight and size limits
apply.
3 Fare difference may apply.
Failure to cancel a reservation at least 10 minutes prior to
scheduled departure may result in forfeited flight
credits.
4 Where available.
Available only on WiFi-enabled aircraft. Limited-time
offer.
5 Effective Aug. 5, 2024, the airline will serve 117
airports.
6 Based on U.S.
Dept. of Transportation quarterly Airline Origin & Destination
Survey since Q1
2021
7 Fulltime-equivalent active
Employees
8 1973-2019 annual
profitability
9 Southwest's net
zero by 2050 goal includes Scope 1, Scope 2, and Scope 3 Category 3
emissions only and excludes any emissions associated with non-fuel
products and services, such as inflight service items.
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SOURCE Southwest Airlines Co.