Ford Motor’s F-Series is now the “official truck” of the National Football League.
The auto giant announced on Wednesday that it signed a three-year sponsorship deal with the NFL and is celebrating by letting fans order their own Ford trucks for tailgating at football games. Ride-sharing company Uber will deliver an F-Series Super Duty truck for use during an NFL game along with tailgating food, game tickets, and merchandise. NFL fans can also enter a sweepstakes for the chance to win Super Bowl tickets and a 2017 Ford F-Series Super Duty truck customized to promote their favorite NFL team.
“America’s truck leader is teaming up with organizers of the nation’s favorite sport to put the spotlight on fans and players who show toughness, smarts and determination on and off the field, and who deserve to be recognized for that,” Mark LaNeve, Ford’s vice president of marketing, said in a statement. Ford’s sponsorship will also include the company highlighting one NFL team’s offensive line each week of the football season, while one team will be honored as the “Built Ford Tough Offensive Line of the Year” at the end of the season.
Ford is not the only automaker to sign a sponsorship deal with the NFL. Hyundai reportedly agreed to pay $50 million annually over a four-year deal to be recognized as the official car of the league, replacing General Motors in that role. Ford and the NFL did not disclose the value of their truck sponsorship deal. Several major brands pay big money to join the NFL’s list of official sponsors, including AB InBev’s Bud Light and its $1.4 billion deal to be the league’s official beer sponsor through the 2022 Super Bowl.
Of course, Ford has had close ties to the NFL for decades, as a member of the Ford family has owned the Detroit Lions franchise (which plays in a stadium named Ford Field) since 1963.