The Canadian subsidiary of automotive giant Ford has agreed a renewed five-year sponsorship deal with Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment – the operating body of the Toronto Maple Leafs ice hockey team – ahead of the 2014-15 NHL season.
At the heart of the extended partnerships is the Leafs Nation Ticket Program, which will make 200 tickets for each Toronto Maple Leafs game at the Air Canada Centre available to the public free of charge.
This amounts to more than 9,000 free tickets over the course of 2014-15, where supporters will have access to the new Ford Fan Deck.
Ford also takes on a naming sponsorship of the popular fan area Maple Leaf Square, although the Bremner Boulevard gathering spot will be renamed the Ford Fan Zone at Maple Leaf Square. Reports last week that the area would be renamed Ford Square had provoked disquiet amongst the team’s fans.
Another element of the partnership is the Player Drive to the Game initiative, which gives Ford customers a chance to attend a match with a former Maple Leafs star. Financial terms were not disclosed.