VIZIO Announces Title Sponsorship of 44th Annual Fiesta Bowl, Demonstrating Continued Commitment to Sports Fans

Popular Bowl Game Part of New College Bowl Playoff System

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Oct 28, 2014, 01:30 ET

IRVINE, Calif., Oct. 28, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- VIZIO, America's #1 Smart TV and #1 sound bar company¹, announced today its title sponsorship of the 44^th Annual Fiesta Bowl, one of the six major "New Year's Six" bowls as part of the new College Football Playoff. The 2014 VIZIO Fiesta Bowl will air on ESPN at 2:00 p.m. MT and take place on December 31, 2014 at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, AZ.

VIZIO logo.

"As a proud supporter of college football on ESPN since 2006, we're excited to be a part of the inaugural season of the new playoff system as the title sponsor of the Fiesta Bowl," said Lily Knowles, Vice President of Product Marketing, VIZIO. "Football remains one of the most beloved shared entertainment experiences at home and because of this, VIZIO keeps football top of mind as we design our TVs and audio products. We're always focused on creating the most immersive home entertainment experience possible with the best picture and audio quality, allowing fans to feel like they're part of the game."

Focused on giving back to fans, VIZIO is also the title sponsor of the 2014 VIZIO Fiesta Bowl Fan Fest taking place on December 31, 2014 from 8:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. MT on the Great Lawn at the University of Phoenix Stadium. College football fans of all ages will come together for the ultimate tailgate that celebrates the great traditions of college football prior to kick-off. In addition, VIZIO Fandemonium, an online social community created to gives fans the opportunity to rally together, share and express their enthusiasm for sports and other passion points. The newly redesigned VIZIO Fandemonium website – VIZIOFanZone.com – gives fans the chance to register, compete and collect points to redeem for ultimate prize packages, including an upcoming 2014 VIZIO Fiesta Bowl ticket sweepstakes. While more details will be released soon, VIZIO will award one college football super fan with a VIP trip to the VIZIO Fiesta Bowl through VIZIO Fandemonium.

"VIZIO's Fiesta Bowl title sponsorship is a great extension of the brand's prior status as an official BCS Sponsor and title sponsor for the 2014 BCS National Championship Game and further illustrates their commitment to college football," said Ed Erhardt, President, ESPN Global Customer Marketing and Sales. "With this expanded presence, VIZIO will have exposure to and be engaged with passionate college football fans at the height of the College Football Playoff."

This year marks the first College Football Playoff in which a selection committee ranks the top 25 teams in the country and assigns teams to the two semifinal games which will rotate each year between six of the most prestigious bowls in the country: the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl, VIZIO Fiesta Bowl, Capital One Orange Bowl, The Rose Bowl Game Presented by Northwestern Mutual, the Allstate Sugar Bowl and the Cotton Bowl. The College Football Playoff Selection Committee will announce the Playoff Semifinal pairings live on ESPN at 11:45 a.m. CT, on Sunday December 7. Announcements of the match-ups for the VIZIO Fiesta Bowl along with the other associated bowl games will follow beginning at 1:45 p.m. CT on that day.

"As we enter into a new era of college football, it is an exciting year for VIZIO to join the Fiesta Bowl," said Mike Nealy, Fiesta Bowl Executive Director. "We look forward to working together as partners to celebrate and promote the rich traditions of college football."

The Fiesta Bowl was established in 1971 and is a non-profit focused on fostering a culture of community involvement and giving. The Fiesta Bowl Organization hosts a variety of local events, as well as two elite bowl games a year - the Fiesta Bowl and the Cactus Bowl. A long-standing tradition, the Fiesta Bowl is dedicated to cultivating a culture of community outreach and philanthropy, through which Arizona is made a better place to live, work and play.

To stay updated on news surrounding the upcoming VIZIO Fiesta Bowl, visit VIZIO.com, FiestaBowl.org or follow VIZIO on Twitter @VIZIO.

¹ The NPD Group / Weekly Tracking Service, Flat Panel TV units with Apps included, Dec 30 2012 – May 24 2014

About VIZIO

VIZIO, Inc. is headquartered in Irvine, California. VIZIO skyrocketed to the #1 shipper of LCD television in North America in Q2 2007¹, within five years from their first shipment, and has been in the top 3 ever since². VIZIO is now also America's #1 Smart TV company⁵ and large size LCD TV company³. VIZIO is also the #1 Sound Bar Brand in the U.S⁴. For over a decade, VIZIO has remained committed to what it does best -- focus on the consumer to deliver visionary products at a great value. The brand is consistently recognized for excellence in customer service, and was awarded 19 Stevie Awards, including the Grand Stevie Award in the 8^th Annual Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service. VIZIO offers a broad range of award winning consumer electronics that now include PCs and mobility products. VIZIO's products are found at Amazon, Best Buy, BJ's Wholesale, Costco Wholesale, Sam's Club, Target, Walmart and other retailers nationwide. VIZIO has won numerous awards including 2014 Editor's Choice by Reviewed.com, "Best of CES 2014" by IGN, "Best of CES 2014" by PC Magazine and "Best of the Best 2014" by UltraHDTV Magazine for its Reference Series Ultra HD Full-Array LED Smart TV. VIZIO's P-Series Ultra HD Full-Array LED Smart TV also captured Reviewed.com's 2014 Editor's Choice award and was also recognized by The Verge as "Best TV of CES" for 2014 as well as awarded "Best of CES" by Complex and "Best of Show" by Wired for 2014. VIZIO also earned #1 ranking in the Inc. 500 for Top Companies in Computers and Electronics and made the lists of Ad Age's Hottest Brands, CNET's Editor's Choice, CNET Best of CES 2011 - Television, CNET Best of CES 2013 – Home Theater and Audio, Sound & Vision's Top Picks, Good Housekeeping's Best Big-Screens, PC World's Best Buy and Popular Mechanics Editor's Choice among many other prestigious honors. For more information, please call 888-VIZIOCE or visit www.VIZIO.com.

¹NPD DisplaySearch Global TV Shipment and Forecast Report, North America LCD Shipments Q2 2007
²NPD DisplaySearch Global TV Shipment and Forecast Report, North America LCD Shipments, Annual 2007-2013
³ The NPD Group / Retail Tracking Service, 60" and greater LCD units sold, Jan 2013 – Mar 2014 ⁴The NPD Group / Retail Tracking Service, units sold in the U.S., Jan 2011 – Dec 2013
⁵The NPD Group / Weekly Tracking Service, Flat Panel TV units with Apps included, Dec 30 2012 – May 24 2014