Pilot Flying J, an operator of travel centers in North America, announced a four-year, multimillion dollar sponsorship agreement with the Southeastern Conference and ESPN to be the “Official Travel Center of the SEC.”
This initiative with the SEC represents the largest sports sponsorship deal the company has executed in its nearly 60-year history.
“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,” said Whitney Haslam Johnson, chief experience officer for Pilot Flying J. “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 centers as roadside destinations of choice. We’re excited to be part of fans’ gameday experiences while traveling to see their favorite teams, and continue to fuel life’s journeys for all drivers on the road.”
The sponsorship provides exposure for Pilot Flying J on SEC Network programming and within the SEC footprint through SEC Nation, the network’s traveling 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 football championship and men’s basketball tournament, as well as have 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.
To further amplify the SEC sponsorship, Pilot Flying J will look to enhance their current media inventory on ESPN by working with SEC Network analyst and radio personality Paul Finebaum. As the “Voice of the SEC,” Finebaum will drive campaign and product messaging throughout the football season with a focus on Fridays leading into game – and travel – weekends.
The company’s first major sports initiative was the title sponsorship of the Pilot Flying J Battle at Bristol – an iconic college football “border battle” played Saturday, Sept. 10, 2016 between the Virginia Tech Hokies and Tennessee Volunteers. The event at Bristol Motor Speedway shattered the NCAA single-game college football attendance record with a crowd of 156,990 and was later nominated for the 2017 Sports Business Awards “Sports Event of the Year.”
Pilot Flying J’s combined network of more than 750 retail locations across North America serves more than 1.3 million customers daily. To learn more, visit pilotflyingj.com or follow Pilot Flying J on Facebook at Facebook.com/pilottravelcenters or on Twitter – @pilotflyingj.
