Huawei bolsters sports portfolio with Ottawa Senators deal

Chinese telecommunications company Huawei has signed its latest sports sponsorship deal after agreeing a partnership with NHL ice hockey franchise the Ottawa Senators.

Huawei has been named the official smartphone supplier of the club for the remainder of the 2015-16 NHL season and the 2016-17 campaign.

As part of the agreement, Huawei will receive advertising at the Senators’ home arena, the Canadian Tire Centre, and through the club’s broadcast partner TSN. The two parties will also team up to offer supporters and customers the chance to win the latest Huawei smartphones and front-row tickets to Senators games.

In addition, Huawei will also work with the club on its ‘Sens@School’, ‘Technology in Schools’ and ‘Telecom Seeds for the Future’ education initiatives at schools and universities in the Ottawa area.

Cyril Leeder, president of the Senators, said: “Huawei becomes the first Chinese corporation to partner with the Senators, which we see as an important step for our organisation as our brand continues to become an ideal fit for international business. In particular, our national reach and portfolio of promotional properties have allowed our business to experience major growth in the technology sector.”

Sean Yang, president of Huawei Canada, added: “Our partnership with the Ottawa Senators reflects our commitment to the City of Ottawa and the value we place on being an important part of Ottawa’s business and technology community. As we build our consumer brand in Canada and around the world, working with popular sports franchises like the Ottawa Senators is an important part of our strategy. It’s also an opportunity to build on what we believe is a great local success story for Ottawa’s technology sector, and we are proud to call Ottawa home.”