Infiniti "Round by Round" Bracket Challenge Supports Coaches vs. Cancer® Charity Program With up to $700,000 Donation

FRANKLIN, Tenn., March 9, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- For the second year in a row, Infiniti is sponsoring the "Round by Round" bracket game to benefit Coaches vs. Cancer, which is a collaboration between the American Cancer Society and the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC), with a sizable increase in the target donation amount for the fight against cancer.  Fan participation will again determine the final amount given, up to a possible $700,000 total. 

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For the "Round by Round" portion of the 2012 bracket challenge, registered fans at cbssports.com/Infiniti make picks for each of the 67 match-ups throughout the Championship tournament, including the First Four™ and the always electrifying Men's Final Four®.  Fans are encouraged to return to the bracket and select their picks throughout the total of six competition rounds.  Participants will be eligible to win a grand prize of a trip for two to the 2013 NCAA Men's Final Four in Atlanta.

The "Round by Round" Bracket Challenge coincides with the launch of the all-new 2013 Infiniti JX luxury crossover, which goes on sale at Infiniti retailers nationwide later this month.  New broadcast ads for the Infiniti JX debut during the tournament.  

The 3-row/7-passenger Infiniti JX offers a vibrant symphony of both luxury and style, highlighted by the new Infiniti design language direction, as well as a suite of personal luxury accommodations.  Along with its standout styling and craftsmanship, the breakthrough JX design offers excellent legroom in all three rows, ample cargo room behind the 3rd row, and an innovative middle seat design that provides entry to the 3rd row without removing the 2nd row child seat.

The JX continues Infiniti's tradition of developing world's first technologies, adding a new feature, Backup Collision Intervention (BCI), to the currently available Blind Spot Intervention™ (BSI) system.  With this technology, when the transmission is in reverse, the JX will help the driver detect crossing vehicles and objects behind the JX and, if necessary, the system can automatically engage the brakes to help avoid a collision.  The new JX also offers an advanced Infiniti Connection telematics system with Google Calendar™, Drive Zone/Speed Alert and Infiniti Personal Assistant.

The "Round by Round" Bracket Challenge, is part of Infiniti's comprehensive corporate partnership with the NCAA, CBS Sports and Turner Sports, NCAA Men's Basketball and the 2012 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship.  This year Infiniti has also contributed more than $300,000 to 48 individual NABC member coaches' designated charities in a similar fan-driven "Infiniti Coaches' Charity Challenge," including $100,000 to the winning coach's charity.  Infiniti will also present in-game "coaches' spotlights" during the tournament. 

"Infiniti continues to be inspired by the excitement of the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship and the coaches' dedication to cancer charities," said Infiniti Americas Vice President Ben Poore.  "We thank the fans once again for their role in pushing the total support to more than $1 million this year."

In addition to the online "Round by Round" Bracket Challenge promotions, Infiniti will sponsor custom "Inspiration is Contagious" co-branded features, which will be shown during the coverage on TBS, CBS, TNT, truTV CBS.  Infiniti also serves as the presenting sponsor of the "Infiniti NCAA Tip-Off," a TBS and truTV pre-game show airing throughout the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship.  CBS Sports and Turner Sports will present fully integrated game and studio productions across all four networks throughout the tournament, utilizing the same graphics, musical beds, unique camera angles and an integrated talent line-up.  "Infiniti NCAA Tip-Off" will run 17 times during the NCAA Tournament and include a special feature dedicated to "Inspiration is Contagious."  The segment will drive traffic to the "Round by Round" challenge to benefit Coaches vs. Cancer at the cbssports.com/Infiniti page.

"The challenge captures the commitment and competitive nature of the coaches. When it comes to fighting cancer, these guys just don't want to lose," says Donald Distasio, executive vice president for the American Cancer Society and Eastern Division operating officer. "For fans, it's a good feeling when your team wins, and it's going to feel even better to know they raised dollars that make a difference in the fight against cancer." 

Infiniti is also the exclusive sponsor of CBSSports.com's "Bracket Challenge."  The fan who can claim bracket dominance will win a true Infiniti luxury experience for four to the 2013 Men's Final Four in Atlanta.  To promote these exclusive sponsorships and the new 2013 Infiniti JX, Infiniti will have a strong presence on NCAA March Madness® Live, formerly March Madness On Demand, of which Infiniti is the exclusive automotive sponsor for the March Madness App, CBSSports.com, SI.com and NCAA.com.  In addition, Infiniti will stage several premium homepage takeovers on AOL, CBSSports.com, ESPN, SI, Yahoo Sports! and YouTube. 

Social media also will play a vital role in keeping consumers engaged by reminding them to make their selections for "Round by Round" to benefit Coaches vs. Cancer on the Infiniti Twitter handle @InfinitiNews and Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/infiniti.

And, to further build on Infiniti brand awareness, Infiniti is the presenting sponsor of the Tip-Off Tailgate area at the Final Four site in New Orleans.  Along with Infiniti branding and vehicle displays, Infiniti will put its luxury stamp on the Tip-Off Tailgate experience with the Infiniti Lounge at the Final Four where the Taste of New Orleans with Chef John Besh, the Final Four with Chef Marc Forgione, and the National Championship Mixology will be held.

About Infiniti

Infiniti offers a full-line of luxury performance automobiles, including the G Coupe, Sedan and Convertible, Infiniti M sedan, EX and FX crossovers, and the QX full-size SUV.  More information about Infiniti and its Total Ownership Experience® can be found at www.InfinitiUSA.com.

About NCAA

The NCAA is a membership-led nonprofit association of colleges and universities committed to supporting academic and athletic opportunities for more than 400,000 student-athletes at more than 1,000 member colleges and universities.  Each year, more than 54,000 student-athletes compete in NCAA championships in Divisions I, II and III sports.  Visit www.ncaa.org and www.ncaa.com for more details about the Association, its goals and members and corporate partnerships that help support programs for student-athletes.  [NCAA, Final Four and March Madness are trademarks owned or licensed by the National Collegiate Athletic Association.]

About CBS Sports

CBS Sports, a year-round leader in television sports, broadcasts a portfolio of events on the CBS Television Network, including the NFL's American Football Conference; THE NFL TODAY; college basketball, including the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship; golf, including The Masters® and PGA Championship; college football, including the SEC ON CBS; the U.S. Open Tennis Championships; CBS SPORTS SPECTACULAR, including track & field, auto racing and gymnastics.  In addition, the division directs the CBS College Sports Network, a 24-hour national cable network; produces Inside the NFL for Showtime; and partners with CBS Sports.com in creating a recognized leader among sports Internet destinations.

About Turner Sports

Turner Sports, a division of Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., is an industry leader in televised and online sports programming, airing championship level sporting events on TBS, TNT and truTV, and managing some of the most popular sports sites on the Internet.  Turner Sports' television line-up includes the NBA, Major League Baseball, the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship, NASCAR and professional golf. 

The company's digital portfolio includes SI.com, NASCAR.COM, NCAA.com, PGATOUR.COM, GOLF.com and PGA.com, as well as an accompanying collection of mobile websites and connected device apps.  Turner Sports and the NBA also jointly manage NBA Digital, which includes NBA TV, NBA.com, NBA LEAGUE PASS, NBA Mobile, the NBA Game Time App, NBADLEAGUE.com and WNBA.com. 

About Coaches vs. Cancer

Coaches vs. Cancer is a nationwide collaboration between the American Cancer Society and the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) that empowers basketball coaches, their teams, and local communities to make a difference in the fight against cancer.  The program leverages the personal experiences, community leadership, and professional excellence of basketball coaches nationwide to increase cancer awareness and promote healthy living through year-round awareness efforts, fundraising activities, and advocacy programs.  Since 1993, the initiative has raised more than $80 million dollars to fund groundbreaking research, provide up-to-date cancer literacy, advocate for public health policies and deliver services to improve the quality of life for patients and their families.  To learn more, visit coachesvscancer.org

About the National Association of Basketball Coaches

Located in Kansas City, Missouri, the NABC was founded in 1927 by Forrest "Phog" Allen, the legendary basketball coach at the University of Kansas.  Allen, a student of James Naismith, the inventor of basketball, organized coaches into this collective group to serve as Guardians of the Game.  The NABC currently has nearly 5,000 members consisting primarily of university and college men's basketball coaches.  All members of the NABC are expected to uphold the core values of being a Guardian of the Game by bringing attention to the positive aspects of the sport of basketball and the role coaches play in the academic and athletic lives of today's student-athletes.  The four core values of being a Guardian of the Game are advocacy, leadership, service and education.  Additional information about the NABC, its programs and membership, can be found at www.nabc.com.

SOURCE Infiniti