Relevent Sports Group Announces Allstar Lineup of Partners For 2022 WICC
Major brands show strong support for the global championship of women's professional soccer
NEW YORK, Aug. 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Relevent Sports Group (RSG) announces a powerful list of brand and media partners ahead of the 2022 Women's International Champions Cup (WICC) to be held today, August 17 and August 20 at Providence Park in Portland, Oregon. The tournament has four champion clubs from around the world who will battle to be called the Women's Club World Champion.
Ally, a longtime partner of the WICC, is the presenting sponsor of the 2022 WICC. The list of brand partners also includes Verizon, Toyota, Nike, Oakley, TikTok, BODYARMOR, Turkish Airlines, Cazadores Tequila, Sorare, Socios.com, Hertz, Shutterstock, YETI, Pacific Seafood, and Sport Oregon.
"It's a privilege to continue our support of the Women's International Champions Cup and its unwavering mission to bring incredible athletes to the world's stage," said Stephanie Marciano, Head of Sports and Entertainment Marketing, Ally Financial. "We are committed to leveling the playing field for these world-class athletes and welcome the strong partners joining us as we continue to change the game for all women."
ESPN will serve as the official broadcast partner of the WICC in the U.S., Mexico, Central America, Brazil, and the Caribbean. Other media partners include DIRECTV in South America (outside of Brazil), NENT in Scandinavia, and Astro in Malaysia. Further, DAZN is the global media rights distribution partner in markets and territories not listed above. In total, the tournament will be broadcast in 250 markets and territories worldwide.
"The quality and volume of this year's WICC partners demonstrates the enormous global interest around women's professional soccer," said RSG CEO Daniel Sillman. "The days of people claiming that women's sports aren't financially viable are over, as you can see by our deep roster of partners and the investment being made in women's sports."
The WICC, now in its 4th year, is a qualification-only event. Each participant must win a championship in its most recent season to be invited to the WICC. This year's participants are the Portland Thorns, who won the 2021 NWSL Shield, 2021 NWSL Challenge Cup, and 2021 WICC; Olympique Lyonnais, who won the 2021-22 D1 Feminine and 2021-22 UEFA Women's Champions League; Chelsea, who won the 2021-22 FAWSL; and Monterrey, who won the 2021 Torneo Grita México Apertura 2021.
RSG has made a long-standing investment into the growth of women's soccer through its WICC platform. In 2020, RSG developed a women's-focused content strategy with new original programming, highlighted by "The Fixture by the WICC." The weekly digital show is available on all ICC social channels and is entirely dedicated to women's soccer including highlights, news, transfers, and players to watch. RSG also produced a full-length documentary about Lyon star Ada Hegerberg available now on ESPN+.
All of this year's partners share in RSG's vision to promote, elevate, and support women across the globe. This has been a transcendent year for women's sports, and soccer specifically, celebrating the 50th anniversary of Title IX, the equal pay agreement between the Men's and Women's U.S. National Teams, and record-breaking attendance and viewership with the UEFA Women's EURO.
"Toyota is thrilled to be an official sponsor of the Women's International Champions Cup and cheer on the Portland Thorns as they look to defend their title," says Russ Humberston, president of the Pacific Northwest Toyota Dealers Association. "We're especially honored to have a hand in inspiring the future generation of athletes and showing them dreams can come true through the player mascot program. We're able to create a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for local children as they stand alongside their role models on the field."
"Pacific Seafood fuels athletes and fans around the world with the healthiest protein on the planet and is proud to partner with the Women's International Championship Cup for a second year," said Bill Hueffner, Chief Marketing Officer for Pacific Seafood. "Because nets play a vital role in both soccer and fishing, we saw an opportunity to educate fans on sustainable fishing practices by providing the nets on the field. These custom hand-crafted nets are produced on the Oregon coast and are specially designed to only catch targeted species."
Tickets for the 2022 WICC are available at www.internationalchampionscup.com.
ABOUT RELEVENT SPORTS GROUP
Relevent Sports Group (RSG) is the premier soccer events and media business in North America and Asia. RSG owns and operates soccer properties, including the WICC, and sells premium rights for the world's top leagues, federations, and confederations. RSG is focused on expanding its footprint, creating a year-round soccer platform including new digital properties and the first-of-its-kind joint venture with LaLiga to promote soccer in North America.
CONTACT: Ian Campbell, [email protected]
SOURCE Relevent Sports Group
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