Pilot Flying J, the largest operator of travel centres in North America, has signed a four-year, multimillion dollar sponsorship agreement with college sports organisation the Southeastern Conference and US sports broadcaster ESPN.
The initiative with the SEC represents the largest sports sponsorship deal the company has executed in its nearly 60-year history and it will serve as the official travel centre of the conference.
The sponsorship provides exposure for Pilot Flying J on SEC Network programming and within the SEC footprint through SEC Nation, the network's traveling American football pre-game show. Pilot Flying J will be the presenting sponsor of three SEC Nation broadcasts this season.
Additionally, Pilot Flying J will activate on-site at SEC FanFare at both the American football championship and men's basketball tournament, as well as receive marketing presence within all the major SEC sports championship events.
Pilot Flying J will have category exclusivity and rights to SEC and SEC Network marks and logos for use in all marketing and promotional efforts, including in-store displays.
“This relationship with the SEC is a great fit for our brand – we have deep roots within the region, and it represents a third of our network,” Whitney Johnson, chief experience officer for Pilot Flying J, said. “As an official sponsor of the SEC, we'll execute a fully integrated marketing plan and leverage the network's national exposure to build strong brand presence and further position our travel centres as roadside destinations of choice.”
The company's first major sports initiative was the title sponsorship of the Pilot Flying J Battle at Bristol – a college football ‘border battle’ played on September 10, 2016 between the Virginia Tech Hokies and Tennessee Volunteers.
The event at Bristol Motor Speedway shattered the National Collegiate Athletic Association’s single-game college football attendance record with a crowd of 156,990.