Academy Sports + Outdoors announced a multimedia sponsorship with ESPN-SEC Network and the Southeastern Conference (SEC) to become the Official Sporting Goods Retailer of the SEC.
As the Official Sporting Goods Retailer of the SEC, Academy Sports will be incorporated into SEC Network programming and will be the presenting sponsor of the network’s flagship news and information show, ‘SEC Now,” on Saturday nights. Additionally, Academy will host on-site activations for SEC Nation, the network’s traveling football pre-game show, and SEC championship events in football and other sports.
“Academy Sports + Outdoors is proud of our deep roots in the Southeast, as we serve so many customers in the region with sports, outdoor and recreational products at everyday low prices,” said Tom Lamb, Academy Sports’ chief marketing officer. “Teaming up with prominent platforms like ESPN and the SEC will allow us to efficiently reach more of our core customers on a national scale and add yet another dimension of fun to our brand.”
Academy is the title sponsor of the Academy Sports + Outdoors Texas Bowl, a collegiate football postseason showdown between teams from the Big 12 and the SEC-owned-and-operated-by-ESPN events. The 2018 Academy Sports + Outdoors Texas Bowl will be played on December 27 at NRG Stadium in Houston. Academy also has preexisting sponsorships with several SEC schools.
“The SEC is pleased to welcome Academy Sports + Outdoors to its official corporate sponsor family and the SEC Network,” said SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey. “Academy Sports + Outdoors has great appeal to the fans of the SEC, which makes this sponsorship a natural fit for both of us.”
Academy Sports + Outdoors is also teaming up with ESPN reporter Marty Smith on a branded content series that focuses on sports and outdoors.
“I’ve loved sports and the outdoors my whole life, and both remain a huge part of my life,” Smith said. “I’ve hunted, fished and attended football games with my daddy from the time I was five years old, so working with companies like Academy Sports + Outdoors that share the same passions and values is very important to me, not to mention humbling. I can’t wait to collaborate on unique sports and outdoors content together and showcase some of the authentic locations and traditions of the Southeast that I know and love and champion every single day.”
