Major Sponsorship Breakthrough For Yahoo!Xtra Northern Knights
In a landmark first for Northern Districts cricket, Yahoo!Xtra is going into bat for Plunket Shield and national one-day champions the Northern Knights.
Announcing the new partnership today, Northern Districts Cricket CEO David Cooper said he is delighted to confirm Yahoo!Xtra as the team’s naming rights sponsor. From today the team is to be known as the Yahoo!Xtra Northern Knights.
“This is a fantastic reflection of the Yahoo!Xtra Northern Knights’ achievements not only on the cricket field, but in raising the profile of cricket both within our own boundaries and nation-wide,” Cooper said.
“It’s also really exciting for us to welcome Yahoo!Xtra as a major partner that will bring direct benefits for our team’s fans. Yahoo!Xtra is a powerful and renowned brand. With almost 6 million eyeballs visiting their site each month, they significantly enhance our ability to deliver content direct to Yahoo!Xtra Northern Knights followers. This relationship will bring massive benefits for us and we are also confident that their association with us will provide significant benefits for Yahoo!Xtra.”
Yahoo!Xtra’s General Manager Laura Maxwell-Hansen said the partnership was an exciting new step for the company and was a reflection of their commitment to sport at all levels in New Zealand.
“We know Kiwis love their sport and we know summer means cricket to Kiwis,” Maxwell-Hansen said
“We can see great things coming from the partnership with the Northern Knights.
“Yahoo!Xtra’s sports channel is all about delivering the most up-to-date news and results for all sports ranging from the grassroots to the international level and we’re committed to that.”
Northern Districts Commercial Manager Shae Wright said the naming rights breakthrough, a multiyear partnership, reflects the strong marketability of the Yahoo!Xtra Northern Knights.
“Yahoo!Xtra were quick to see the mutual value in being associated with such a personable and high profile cricket team and has an online editorial and sports department that recognises that we’re among the strongest contenders in each of this season’s three men’s domestic competitions. If the Yahoo!Xtra Northern Knights win the HRV Cup, this is a team that may also be on the global stage, competing in the Champions League.”
James Marshall, captain of the Yahoo!Xtra Northern Knights, said he was thrilled to be welcoming a major new sponsor on behalf of the team. "It's fantastic to have the Yahoo!Xtra team supporting us and we know that they are going to be right behind us as we try to achieve something very special in New Zealand domestic cricket.
"We won two out of three trophies last year and the entire squad has since raised the bar in training and preparations for this season in order to try to take ourselves even further. We've got a very strong team culture, work ethic and commitment to our fans and it's exciting that a major player like Yahoo!Xtra has recognised that and come on board as our naming rights sponsor. They're going to be backing us all the way and it's going to have a lot of spin-offs for our fans and supporters as well."