New Balance Athletic Shoe, Inc. has finalized a four-year multi-million dollar agreement with Sesame Workshop, the nonprofit educational organization, to become a program sponsor of the Emmy-winning children series, Sesame Street. In addition to Sesame Street, the agreement includes sponsorship for the U.S. broadcast of Plaza Sésamo – the Latin American co-production of Sesame Street, in select PBS markets. New Balance will also be the exclusive national sponsor of Sesame Workshop’s traveling museum exhibit, Sesame Street Presents: The Body for 2007-2010.

New Balance’s television program sponsorship will begin in November 2006 and run through December 2007. Beginning today, a New Balance Kids :15 bi-lingual spot (English/Spanish) will be seen at the top and bottom of the hour-long program which airs on PBS stations nationwide. Other key components of the partnership include New Balance’s integration into several online elements (both on sesamestreet.com and newbalance.com), and print campaigns that will appear in Sesame Street magazine and Sesame Street newsletters.

“We are proud to be the first athletic brand to sponsor Sesame Street,” says Paul Heffernan, Executive Vice President of Global Marketing at New Balance. “New Balance and Sesame Workshop have many shared brand qualities and core values – including integrity, innovation, authenticity, consistency and a global commitment to a healthy lifestyle and our community. As the most trusted and recognized television program among parents, Sesame Street is a natural fit for us to communicate the brand essence of New Balance Kids.”

“We are proud to welcome New Balance as a sponsor,” said Gary E. Knell, President and CEO, Sesame Workshop. “With New Balance’s long dedication to providing quality products and support of physical fitness, Sesame Workshop is excited to work together to inspire children to lead active, healthy lives along with their friends from Sesame Street.”

New Balance will be the exclusive national sponsor of Sesame Street Presents: The Body, an interactive traveling museum exhibit that teaches kids about their bodies: their insides, outsides, and how to stay healthy. The exhibit, which is part of Sesame Workshop’s “Healthy Habits for Life” initiative, debuted in May 2005. New Balance’s sponsorship will debut at the exhibit’s opening in Santa Ana, California in January 2007. New Balance will be integrated into the different interactive play areas of the exhibit, such as a “learn to tie your shoelaces” lesson and be a partner in the “Healthy Habits for Life” program. Key elements of the exhibit will also be featured on the New Balance website and the company will have recognition in all exhibit marketing materials. New Balance will also work with Ryan Partnership of Connecticut to integrate the sponsorship into activities at key retail accounts.

“Sesame Street Presents: The Body offers New Balance an innovative opportunity to educate moms and kids about the importance of proper footwear fit in a medium that is fun, educational and interactive,” says Heffernan. “This exhibit also speaks directly to kids about the importance of leading a healthy lifestyle which has always been a key area of emphasis for New Balance.”