South Korean carmaker Hyundai will terminate its Official Automotive Partner deal with the NFL after the Super Bowl, according to Hyundai Motor America chief marketing officer Dean Evans.
Hyundai is the NFL’s Official Vehicle and SUV, and its Genesis brand is the NFL’s Official Luxury Vehicle.
Evans announced the four-year deal would not be renewed at the Detroit Auto Show, but said Hyundai would still maintain a significant presence with the NFL through broadcast sponsorships.
These would include Presenting Sponsor rights for the NBC’s Sunday Night Football kick-off show, and sponsor rights for ESPN’s Monday Night Football half-time show.
Evans said: “We are continuing our football strategy. We still have five teams that we sponsor. We are a ‘Sunday Night Football’ sponsor. That continues our football DNA, and being in front of what we think is a very valuable fan-based audience that we love. We don’t plan on leaving them but just moving our assets around a little bit.”
Hyundai has NFL team deals with the Arizona Cardinals, Houston Texans, Los Angeles Rams, Miami Dolphins, Minnesota Vikings and Pittsburgh Steelers.
As part of its NFL deal, Hyundai has previously been an Official Sponsor for the NFL Draft and Kickoff Weekend.
According to US news site NYSportsJournalism.com, Hyundai’s advertising commitment at this year’s Super Bowl includes a 60-second spot during the first quarter on CBS, and a 30-second pre-game spot.
It will also have experiential marketing activations in the host city Atlanta, where it will present 30 current and former NFL legends for exclusive autograph signings.
Hyundai replaced General Motors as the NFL’s official automotive partner in 2015.
Read this: ‘A Better Super Bowl’: Hyundai NFL activation case study