NHL extends US-focused Geico deal

Insurance firm Geico has signed a multi-year extension to its partnership with the North American NHL ice hockey league.

Geico will continue to serve as the official automobile insurance partner of the NHL in the US and will sponsor league events such as the Winter Classic, Stadium Series, All-Star Skills Competition and All-Star Game.

The renewal also names the firm a presenting partner of an intermission report aired during game broadcasts on the NHL Network. In addition, Geico will serve as the presenting partner of the Stanley Cup Playoffs for all games that are broadcast on NBC, NBCSN, NHL Network, USA Network and CNBC.

Geico will promote the partnership through a number of activations, including the #GEICOCupCrazy social media campaign. The firm will receive in-arena advertising exposure and its branding will be visible on dasherboards during television broadcasts. Geico will also have a presence at NHL fan festivals and be promoted across the league’s various digital and social media platforms.

“Geico has built a strong relationship with the NHL over the past seven years as the official automobile insurance partner, and we're looking forward to seeing it grow even more in the years to come,” Ted Ward, Geico’s vice-president of marketing, said. “Hockey fans are some of the most passionate in all of sports, and we are enormously grateful for the energy they bring to the games and the Geico brand.”

Geico earlier this week entered into a partnership with indoor American football competition the Arena Football League, and last October agreed a similar deal with North American professional ice hockey league the ECHL. The deals named the firm the official auto insurance partner of the respective leagues, and Geico was also named the official goal sponsor of each of the ECHL’s 27 US-based teams.