North America

Major League Soccer team Portland Timbers has agreed a multi-year community partnership with Providence Health & Services that awards the naming rights for its home stadium to the not-for-profit healthcare provider.

Italian automotive manufacturer Maserati will return as title sponsor of the 2014 US Open Polo Championship.

Japanese automotive manufacturer Toyota has secured an 11-year naming rights deal at iconic US motor-racing venue Daytona International Speedway.

The Canadian Olympic Committee has entered into a one-year deal with Cineplex Entertainment to make the cinema group its official movie partner.

Japanese premium bedding topper firm Airweave has agreed a sponsorship deal with the US Olympic Committee ahead of the 2014 winter Olympic Games in Sochi, Russia.

MLB baseball team Texas Rangers has agreed a 10-year naming rights deal with Globe Life and Accident Insurance Company for its Rangers Ballpark in Arlington.

Japanese tyre manufacturer Yokohama has signed a multi-year agreement with the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail organisation to be the title sponsor of the Ladies Professional Golf Association tournament in Prattville, Alabama.

The Army National Guard has agreed a deal with the National Women’s Soccer League to become the official armed forces partner of the US women’s top-flight football competition.

Chicago Cubs have entered into a three-year deal with locally based pizzeria Giordano’s that makes it the exclusive pizza of the MLB baseball team and its Wrigley Field home.

Information technology services company Atos has reached an agreement to become the fourth premier partner of Toronto’s staging of the 2015 Pan American/Parapan Games multi-sport event.

Mixed martial arts series the Ultimate Fighting Championship has announced a two-year extension to its sponsorship deal with the US arm of Japanese tyre manufacturer Toyo Tires.

WNBA basketball team Phoenix Mercury has agreed a wide-ranging sponsorship deal with gambling and holiday destination Casino Arizona and Talking Stick Resort.

US fashion brand Levi’s has renewed its five-year sponsorship agreement with MLB baseball team San Francisco Giants.

University Hospitals (UH) in Cleveland has reached a 10-year sponsorship agreement with its local NFL American football team Cleveland Browns.

US sportswear company Nike has agreed an apparel and sponsorship deal with the University of Tennessee's athletics department.

State-owned Dutch bank ABN AMRO is set to overhaul its sponsorship strategy in the summer of 2014 and stablise its focus on partnerships with properties in the Netherlands, Ernst Boekhorst, manager of sponsoring and events at ABN AMRO and director of the ABN AMRO foundation, told Sports Sponsorship Insider.