January 16, 2008
Bridgestone Brand Becomes Official Tire Of Golf Channel
Exclusive contract enhances Bridgestone presence in the world of golf
Bridgestone Line
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Bridgestone Firestone North American Tire, LLC (BFNT) and the GOLF CHANNEL have entered into an
exclusive partnership that designates the Bridgestone brand as the "Official Tire of the GOLF CHANNEL."
Under the agreement, BFNT and the Bridgestone brand will have network exclusivity and serve as the presenting sponsor of
"Live from the Masters" in conjunction with Bridgestone Golf, Inc. The new partnership further enhances the Bridgestone
brand's presence in the world of golf as the brand is also the Official Tire of the PGA TOUR and the host of the World Golf
Championships–Bridgestone Invitational played at the Firestone Country Club in Akron, Ohio.
"This partnership is a way for Bridgestone to connect with its customers on a new level — we not only share a passion for
high performance tires, but can also improve our golf game," said Phil Pacsi, Vice President, North American Consumer Tire
Marketing, BFNT. "For the GOLF CHANNEL and the Bridgestone brand, our partnership is founded on the same winning principle:
provide top-quality service while serving the communities of our loyal customers and viewers."
The agreement also includes hundreds of Official Tire billboards with the key message to "Get the Most Out of Your Game"
during the PGA TOUR, Champions Tour, Nationwide Tour and Live from the Masters tournaments.
"Establishing the Bridgestone brand as the Official Tire of the GOLF CHANNEL was a win-win decision," said Gene Pizzolato,
Executive Vice President of Sales, Marketing and Business Development for the GOLF CHANNEL. "Bridgestone's passion for excellence
is right in line with our passion for the game of golf and motivation to customize platforms that will connect our partners
to their best customers."
In addition to its new national partnership with the GOLF CHANNEL, BFNT has a long tradition of high-profile sports sponsorships.
For example, Bridgestone is the Official Tire of the PGA TOUR; the brand sponsors the World Golf Championships–Bridgestone
Invitational played at the Firestone Country Club in Akron, Ohio; Bridgestone is the Official Tire of the National Football
League®; and the brand is the title sponsor of the Super Bowl XLII and XLIII "Bridgestone Super Bowl Halftime Show."
In motorsports, Bridgestone is the Official Tire of the Champ Car World Series and Formula One. Firestone is the Official
Tire of the Indianapolis 500-Mile Race®, as well as the IndyCar Series and IndyPro Series. BFNT also has local and regional
sponsorships with properties such as the Tennessee Titans and Nashville Predators.
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About Bridgestone Firestone North American Tire, LLC:
Nashville, Tenn.-based Bridgestone Firestone North American
Tire, LLC (BFNT) is a subsidiary of Bridgestone Americas Holding, Inc., whose parent company, Bridgestone Corporation, is
the world's largest tire and rubber company. BFNT develops, manufactures and markets Bridgestone, Firestone and associate
brand tires. The company is focused on wholesale and original equipment markets, supplying passenger, light truck, commercial
vehicle, off the road, motorcycle, agricultural and other tires to its customers in North America.
