Cooper Tire Continues College Football TV Sponsorship

FINDLAY, Ohio, Aug. 30, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- COOPER TIRE & RUBBER COMPANY (NYSE: CTB) announced today it will once again be the "Proud Sponsor of Saturday Afternoon Halftime Reports on ABC" for the fifth consecutive year. The ABC College Football Halftime Show is one of the nation's premier broadcasts, bringing viewers the latest collegiate scores, game previews and expert game analysis.

This partnership follows several years of record attendance for college football. According to the NCAA, college football set a record for the number of people attending games, with close to 50 million fans turning out to watch NCAA football games. This represents an increase of more than 1.3 million fans, or nearly 3 percent, from the prior year. On any given Saturday, the Halftime Show is viewed by approximately 4 million homes.

"This relationship brings together two iconic brands that stand for tradition, performance and the pursuit of excellence," said Julie Smalstig, Cooper Tire's consumer & channel marketing director. "This sponsorship also offers a meaningful opportunity for Cooper to continue enhancing its marketing support for our dealer network. It is an extremely effective marketing vehicle for the Cooper brand to reach the many fans that enjoy the Halftime Show report."

Cooper will also launch its consumer-driven Take the Money & Ride® national rebate event (August 25 to November 7) during the start of college football, as well as a national advertising campaign that supports the company's updated brand message "connecting tires with families and their everyday journeys." The theme of the brand refresh is "life's road trips" and the confidence that families can have when they are riding on Cooper tires.

The ABC/ESPN media schedule begins September 1 and runs through late October. Cooper will support the sponsorship with an integrated marketing plan including national advertising, consumer marketing programs and promotions, and social activation. The sponsorship also extends to ESPN.com and ESPN mobile.

About Cooper Tire & Rubber Company

Cooper Tire & Rubber Company (Cooper) is the parent company of a global family of companies that specialize in the design, manufacture, marketing, and sales of passenger car and light truck tires. Cooper has joint ventures, affiliates and subsidiaries that also specialize in medium truck, motorcycle and racing tires. Cooper's headquarters is in Findlay, Ohio, with manufacturing, sales, distribution, technical and design facilities within its family of companies, located in 10 countries around the world. For more information on Cooper, visit www.coopertire.com, www.facebook.com/coopertire or www.twitter.com/coopertire.

SOURCE Cooper Tire & Rubber Company