Visa Renews NFL Sponsorship Through 2014 Season

New agreement results in 20 year association with the NFL and includes comprehensive range of benefits for Visa, clients and cardholders



San Francisco, Visa Inc. (NYSE: V), a proud sponsor of the National Football League (NFL) since 1995, today announced it has renewed its sponsorship for another five seasons. Visa will be the exclusive payment service for the NFL and all official NFL events through the 2014 season.



Editor's Question:  Thought MasterCard had my Bears covered.  Visa must sponsor the leage...but each NFL teams probably has the right to formulate their own alliance.  Double check...be right back....  Be right back...time for a quick Google search. 

Yup.  "Visa's roster of NFL team relationships includes the Atlanta Falcons, Baltimore Ravens, Buffalo Bills, Carolina Panthers, Cleveland Browns, Denver Broncos, New England Patriots, New Orleans Saints and San Francisco 49ers."  Looks like MasterCard has the rest.  Back to the press release:



The company also unveiled its integrated marketing campaign in support of the 2009 NFL season.

As part of the renewal agreement, Visa will enjoy a host of new benefits which include: top-tier sponsorship of the NFL Draft and NFL Kickoff, exclusive experiences for Visa clients to utilize in their Visa card marketing programs, a Visa and NFL co-branded online portal on NFL.com for Visa Signature cardholders to obtain access to one-of-a-kind NFL experiences and expanded presence and preference for NFL-related transactions through various sales channels.

"The NFL is the premier professional sports League in the United States, and its popularity delivers an unprecedented passionate audience, and a wide range of events that appeal to virtually every demographic," said Antonio Lucio, Chief Marketing Officer, Visa Inc.

"The NFL's numbers speak for themselves in terms of interest, viewership and attendance. We know from our own research that this sponsorship generates transactions, builds our brand and allows us to deliver our key messages of superior convenience, acceptance and security. Furthermore, the NFL partnership provides a powerful platform for us to emphasize to millions of fans the benefits of making everyday purchases with a Visa card over cash or checks."

Lucio added, "The NFL partnership allows our clients and partners to participate in business building activities and provides Visa cardholders with programs that tap their passion for football."

"Since our relationship began more than 14 years ago, Visa has been one of the League's most supportive, collaborative and innovative partners," said Mark Waller, Chief Marketing Officer, NFL. "Year after year, Visa utilizes its assets in new ways that bring value to their stakeholders and reinforce its commitment to the NFL. We are truly excited to have the opportunity to build upon our long-standing relationship and have Visa on our team."


Integrated Marketing Campaign

Visa's league and team sponsorships provide a wide range of benefits - including access to the Super Bowl, the NFL Pro Bowl and the NFL Draft - to connect with Visa cardholders and drive value for financial institution clients, merchant partners and shareholders. Visa's NFL integrated marketing campaign for the 2009 season includes NFL-themed advertising, the fifth season of its financial literacy program tailored to students - Financial Football, and client and team marketing programs. Visa will continue to implement national usage promotions and once-in-a-lifetime NFL experiences, such as ticket and game day packages, to connect with NFL fans and bring them closer to their favorite teams.

National Advertising


In the coming weeks, Visa will unveil an NFL-themed national television advertising campaign with extensions across multiple environments. Throughout the season, print advertisements will also appear in in-stadium game day team programs of Visa-sponsored teams as well as in Pro Bowl and Super Bowl programs.

Digital advertisements highlighting Visa's national promotion and unique merchant offers will also appear throughout the season across a variety of websites including ESPN.com, Yahoo.com, SI.com, Amazon.com and Buy.com, among others.

For the fifth consecutive season, Visa also presents the Visa Halftime Report on FOX NFL broadcasts to further reinforce the company's association with the league with millions of television viewers.


Client Marketing & Merchant Offers

Visa's NFL campaign includes participation from financial institution clients that issue Visa cards and merchant partners that accept them. Visa's marketing support for financial institution clients includes participation in the national promotion, access to Visa's unique NFL experiences, and other customized promotional opportunities.

In the current financial year alone, 600 financial institutions and merchants utilized Visa's sponsorship of the NFL and generated 32 million pieces of communication for their customers.

Visa has also worked with its network of merchant partners to provide exclusive offers that help fans prepare for game and get the most out of their football experience. By visiting www.visa.com/nfl, Visa cardholders are able to save at popular merchants including NFLShop.com, Finish Line, Crutchfield and Omaha Steaks through February 2010.

Team Marketing Programs

Team marketing activation includes Visa Signature cardholder offers, point-of-sale materials, in-stadium signage, public address announcements and cardholder incentives such as discounts and offers in stadium. Visa's roster of NFL team relationships includes the Atlanta Falcons, Baltimore Ravens, Buffalo Bills, Carolina Panthers, Cleveland Browns, Denver Broncos, New England Patriots, New Orleans Saints and San Francisco 49ers.