Sep 25, 2009 at 06:50 PM
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MLS&E Turns Another Hat Trick

Canada's largest retailer and e-tailer of consumer electronics, Future Shop, and Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment today announced that Future Shop will be the Official Consumer Electronics Retailer of the Toronto Maple Leafs (NHL), Toronto Raptors (NBA) and Toronto Marlies (AHL) sports teams. Already a sponsor of MLSE's soccer club, Toronto FC, Future Shop deepens its commitment just before the start of the hockey season.


This is the second cross-property partnership for MLSE this month, as the organization recently announced a similar four team partnership with home improvement retailer, RONA for the Toronto Maple Leafs (NHL), Toronto Raptors (NBA), Toronto Marlies (AHL) and Toronto FC (MLS).

As part of the partnership, Future Shop is the exclusive and official consumer electronics retailer. Future Shop logos and advertisements will emblazon Air Canada Centre and Ricoh Coliseum on LED signage and rink boards. Promotional events with exclusive giveaways will be held during the upcoming seasons as ways to give back to the Greater Toronto Area communities while raising brand awareness.

"We're absolutely thrilled to partner with a world-class sports organization in Maple Leafs Sports and Entertainment," said Nikki Hellyer, Director of Marketing, Future Shop. "It's about getting the Future Shop brand out there by teaming with a group who carries values like ours - quality, innovation, teamwork - and above all, giving back to the community. We're looking at ways to grow our partnership and are very excited to entertain our customers and fans during the seasons that lie ahead with Leafs, Raptors, Marlies and TFC."

The Maple Leafs and Future Shop will kick off the partnership with a live Q&A with fans, hosted at Future Shop's downtown Toronto flagship store, and with questions submitted via the company's Twitter account, @FS_Connect. Future Shop's Community Forum will stream the action live starting at 1:00 p.m. EST. For more information, visit www.futureshop.ca/burke.

Are simple press releases/press conferences outdated and will more properties use the web to kick-off and communicate their sponsorship announcements directly to the fans?