HISTORY® And IMG Kick Off Fall With Unique 2014 College Football Season Partnership

NEW YORK, Sept. 16, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- HISTORY today announced a partnership with six college campuses nationwide to bring the All-American Tailgate Tour, the ultimate tailgate experience on wheels to each of these campuses. HISTORY, working with IMG, has developed a partnership with the six universities' athletic departments for the start of the 2014 college football season. 

The All-American Tailgate Tour is a cross-country road trip that will stop at each of the six campuses – Auburn, Florida, Florida State, Ohio State, Michigan and Texas – to honor the longstanding American tradition of college football and celebrate HISTORY's loyal fans by bringing them an interactive, engaging experience in their own backyards.

Beginning September 20 at University of Michigan, the HISTORY All-American Tailgate Tour will delight football and HISTORY fans as the "Ultimate Smoker and Grill," an 80-foot long grill hauled by a semi, rolls into the college towns in anticipation of the big Saturday football game.  HISTORY will host students, alumni and the local community at a tailgate, where they will serve up special HISTORY BBQ delicacies, offer fans the chance to screen HISTORY TV content from such hit series as Top Gear, American Pickers® and Swamp People ®, gif themselves riding a "life-size Gator" and take home HISTORY merchandise.  In advance of each tour stop, fans and students alike can vie for their chance to win an exclusive pre-game experience by following @HISTORYofficial on Instagram and submitting a selfie showing their team pride with #HistoryVIP.  One lucky winner and their guest will be selected for a VIP game-day experience that includes a behind-the-scenes tour of the stadium and more.

"College football is a deeply rooted American tradition, and HISTORY is thrilled to honor that with the All-American Tailgate Tour," said Samantha Maltin, SVP HISTORY Marketing.  "The tour is a great platform for us to reach millennials and provide them with an engaging brand experience that transcends the TV screen."

"HISTORY's All-American Tailgate Tour demonstrates a smart use of game-day to engage high-value college sports fans," said Andrew Judelson, SVP of US Business Development for IMG, which represents the multimedia rights of the six participating universities. "HISTORY is forging a multi-year partnership with IMG to excite and develop a deep relationship with passionate college fans."

The HISTORY All-American Tailgate Tour will stop at these six major universities:

• University of Michigan – September 20
• Ohio State University – September 27
• Florida State University – October 4
• University of Florida – October 11
• University of Texas – October 18
• Auburn University – October 25

Learn more about the HISTORY All-American Tailgate Tour at http://www.history.com/tailgate.

About HISTORY
HISTORY®, now reaching more than 96 million homes, is the leading destination for award-winning original series and specials that connect viewers with history in an informative, immersive and entertaining manner across all platforms. The network's all-original programming slate, including scripted event programming, features a roster of hit series including American Pickers®, American Restoration™, Ax Men™, Counting Cars™, Ice Road Truckers®, Pawn Stars® and Swamp People® as well as HISTORY®'s first scripted series Vikings, and epic miniseries and special programming such as The Bible and the Emmy® Award-winning Hatfields & McCoys, Gettysburg, Vietnam in HD, America The Story of Us®  and 102 Minutes That Changed America. The HISTORY® website is the leading online resource for all things history, and in 2011, the United States Library of Congress selected HISTORY®'s Civil War 150 site for inclusion in the historic collection of Internet materials related to the American Civil War sesquicentennial.  www.history.com. For more press information and photography, please visit us at http://press.aenetworks.com

About IMG
IMG is a global leader in sports, fashion and media operating in more than 30 countries around the world. IMG's businesses include Events & Media, College, Golf, Tennis, Performance and IMG Academy, Fashion, Models, Clients, Consulting, Licensing, Joint Ventures, and creative management agency Art + Commerce. In 2014, IMG was acquired by WME, the world's leading entertainment and media agency. Together, the companies offer an unparalleled client roster; world-class partnerships with sponsors, brands and broadcasters; and marquee assets across entertainment, events and fashion.

Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20140916/146498

SOURCE HISTORY