Toyota and The National Football League (NFL) jointly announced today they have entered into a multi-year sponsorship agreement designating Toyota as the Official Automotive Partner of the NFL.
With this agreement, Toyota will leverage the year-round NFL calendar as a powerful marketing platform to communicate its brand message to football fans across the U.S.
Engaging fans in their environment has never been more critical. With the ability to activate at official NFL events, Toyota will aim to connect with consumers in an authentic way, enhancing their fan experience and driving Toyota brand loyalty.
“The NFL is the number one sports property in the U.S. with 205 million passionate fans,” said David Christ, group vice president and general manager, Toyota. “This partnership provides us the opportunity to connect with fans through a wide array of NFL programs and platforms, allowing us to share our brand message and promote our vehicles to a diverse and highly engaged audience.”
The partnership will extend beyond the bright lights of the stadiums and into football-loving communities across the country. The League’s commitment to growing and prioritizing multi-cultural programs is directly aligned with Toyota’s focus on diversity and inclusion, as it seeks to leave no one behind in its goal to provide mobility for all.
“We’re thrilled to welcome Toyota, a brand that has supported both the League’s media partners and its clubs, now as the Official Automotive Partner of the NFL,” said Tracie Rodburg, senior vice president, Sponsorship Management at the NFL. “Toyota shares the NFL’s strategic vision and goals, prioritizing authenticity and a commitment to their consumers, our fans. We look forward to working together to bring fans exciting programs in the seasons ahead.”
Toyota is no stranger to fans of the NFL. In the 1980s, the “Toyota Halftime Show,” first appeared on ABC’s Monday Night Football. In 2006, Toyota tackled halftime sponsorship for NBC’s Sunday Night Football, an engagement that remains in place today. Toyota’s new partnership with the NFL will be enhanced by national broadcast television and online media investments.
At a regional level, Toyota also currently sponsors eleven NFL teams through its network of dealer associations. Local activations will be driven by Toyota’s 1,200+ dealers across the U.S. Together, these partnerships will bring the shared mission of Toyota and the NFL into the living rooms and communities of fans across the nation.
“For more than half a century, Toyota and the NFL have brought American families together for memorable experiences and iconic moments,” Christ added. “With this partnership, and the combined resources of Toyota and the NFL, the best is yet to come.”
About Toyota
Toyota (NYSE:TM) has been a part of the cultural fabric in the U.S. for more than 65 years, and is committed to advancing sustainable, next-generation mobility through our Toyota and Lexus brands, plus our nearly 1,500 dealerships.
Toyota directly employs more than 49,000 people in the U.S. who have contributed to the design, engineering, and assembly of more than 33 million cars and trucks at our nine manufacturing plants. By 2025, Toyota’s 10th plant in North Carolina will begin to manufacture automotive batteries for electrified vehicles. With more electrified vehicles on the road than any other automaker, Toyota currently offers 26 electrified options.
Through its Driving Possibilities initiative, the Toyota USA Foundation has committed $110 million to create innovative educational programs within, and in partnership with, historically underserved and diverse communities near the company’s 14 U.S. operating sites.
About the NFL:
The National Football League is America’s most popular sports league, comprised of 32 franchises that compete each year to win the Super Bowl, the world’s biggest annual sporting event. Founded in 1920, the NFL developed the model for the successful modern sports league, including national and international distribution, extensive revenue sharing, competitive excellence, and strong franchises across the country.
