Health insurance company Blue Shield of California has entered into a partnership with sports and entertainment giant AEG, through which it will sponsor the Los Angeles Kings NHL ice hockey team and a number of other AEG-owned properties.
Blue Shield will serve as the exclusive healthcare partner of the Kings, as well as the L.A. Live entertainment district and other AEG-backed entities.
The multi-year deal was brokered by AEG Global Partnerships. Blue Shield will benefit from brand exposure across all the properties as part of the agreement.
The company will work with the Kings on a range of community initiatives that will promote an active and healthy lifestyle and youth participation in sports. Blue Shield will also seek to drive hockey participation amongst young women by serving as a presenting sponsor of the LA Lions Hockey Club, which the Kings founded in 2015.
In addition, Blue Shield will be the presenting sponsor of the LA Kings Chariot Program, which organises more than 300 events a year and promotes ice hockey amongst schoolchildren in Los Angeles.
Blue Shield will be integrated into all Chariot events, and will also sponsor the LA Kings Run Club and LA Kings Beach Cities 5k and 10k races.
Jeff Robertson, senior vice-president and chief marketing officer of Blue Shield of California, said: “Our partnership with AEG places us in the heart of Los Angeles’ vibrant communities, letting us engage directly with our members and prospective members. We want consumers to know that we care about their health, and our relationship with AEG helps us do just that.”