Taco Bell Corp. and Fox Sports inked a four-year sponsorship agreement yesterday that serves up the Mexican-style fast-food chain as the “Official Quick Service Restaurant” of the National Collegiate Athletic Association’s football Bowl Championship Series (BCS).
The sponsorship, which runs from 2007 through 2010, provides Taco Bell the opportunity to activate promotions around the Fiesta Bowl, Orange Bowl, Allstate Sugar Bowl and the new BCS National Championship Game. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
In addition to advertising in BCS games televised by Fox, Taco Bell has rights to activate BCS promotions with the network, and to use the championship trophy for promotional purposes.
“Sports gives us a great avenue to reach our target consumers, and the increasing popularity of collegiate sports is something that really attracted our attention,” said Taco Bell spokesperson Rob Poetsch.
Taco Bell’s primarily targets 18- to 34-year-old male consumers, Poetsch said.
“The BCS is college football’s premier event, watched by millions of football fans, dedicated alumni and passionate students,” said Debbie Myers, VP- media services, Taco Bell in a statement. “Our partnership with FOX allows Taco Bell to deliver our ‘Think Outside the Bun’ brand personality to millions of Taco Bell consumers in innovative ways.”
Irvine, CA-based Taco Bell, a subsidiary of Yum Brands, Inc., also sponsors Major League Baseball and the X-Games. Stamford, CT-based Millsport, LLC handles the company’s promotions.
Taco Bell’s 2005 sales reached $1.8 billion in company and $4.4 billion in franchise. The company serves more than two billion consumers each year in more than 5,800 restaurants in the U.S.
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