Didn't We Do This Before? Web.com Tour Here We Come!
/And the over-under bets will be flying as Web.com, a small Jacksonville-based domain registry outfit, becomes the title sponsor of the Nationwide Tour, signing a, gulp, 10-year deal. The Nationwide Tour was previously the Buy.com Tour for three years. But Buy.com asked to be let out of its contract after two years, paving the way for the first of Nationwide's five-year deals.
For Immediate Release...
Web.com Signs 10-Year Deal to Become Umbrella Sponsor of Renamed Web.com Tour
Replaces Nationwide as sponsor of the pathway to the PGA TOUR
PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. – The PGA TOUR and Web.com (Nasdaq:WWWW), the leading provider of internet services and online marketing solutions for small- to medium-sized businesses (SMBs), today announced a 10-year agreement whereby the company becomes the umbrella sponsor of the newly named Web.com Tour.
Formerly known as the Nationwide Tour, the Web.com Tour will continue to identify and transition players who are ready to compete and win on the PGA TOUR.
Transition? Is this rehab or a golf tour?
It currently awards PGA TOUR membership to the 25 leading money winners at the end of the season. Beginning in 2013, however, the importance of the Web.com Tour will further increase when the new qualifying structure for the PGA TOUR expands that number to 50.
The Web.com umbrella sponsorship takes effect immediately with this week’s United Leasing Championship at Victoria National Golf Club near Evansville, Ind., and extends through 2021.
So soon!
In addition to the umbrella sponsorship, Web.com will also become an Official Marketing Partner of the PGA TOUR, Web.com Tour and Champions Tour.
The announcements were made jointly by PGA TOUR Commissioner Tim Finchem; David L. Brown, Web.com’s Chairman, President and CEO; and Bill Calfee, President of the Web.com Tour.
Okay strap in, a new acronym that's surely been flying around PV...
Web.com to Significantly Expand Reach to SMBs through Sponsorship
“This sponsorship is a perfect fit for us – Web.com is committed to helping small- and medium-sized businesses compete and succeed online, just as the Web.com Tour helps talented, dedicated athletes maximize their potential and fulfill their dreams,” Brown said. “The Web.com brand will gain exceptional visibility as a result of our sponsorship of the Web.com Tour. In addition, we believe that the professionalism and competition of PGA TOUR golf resonates strongly with small- and medium-sized business owners, making the national and international exposure we achieve with this sponsorship an unparalleled opportunity to reach more of our target market.”
As the umbrella sponsor of the Tour, Web.com will receive media coverage throughout the year and international television exposure through Golf Channel’s live telecasts of Web.com Tour tournaments and ancillary programming. Extensive branding and promotion at tournament sites; local and national advertising opportunities across print, broadcast, internet and social media properties; regular exposure through PGA TOUR media assets and various hospitality opportunities are also part of the Web.com agreement. The Web.com Tour will also be a familiar element during PGA TOUR telecasts, particularly when alumni play their way into contention. In addition, Web.com, via its Official Marketing Partnership, will offer its internet services and online solutions for players across all three Tours and events looking to grow their individual brands.
Does this mean they pay less than a normal sponsor would pay?
FYI, I use Register.com, which apparently is owned by Web.com. But I hear Hover.com is the best. Go on...
Brown continued, “This sponsorship is a unique and powerful opportunity to elevate our brand on a highly desirable global platform, but it also offers us deep, local exposure in the 27 markets where Web.com Tour events are currently staged as well as access to other markets where the PGA TOUR and the Champions Tour have forged strong ties. We intend to actively engage in those communities and use our expertise to help local businesses and organizations succeed online.”
Web.com will also enhance each Web.com Tour community through charitable outreach. In 2011, the Web.com Tour raised $7.35 million for charity, pushing its cumulative total since inception in 1990 to $75 million.
Wow, Web.com has already raised so much for charity!
Solidifying the Future of the Web.com Tour
With today’s announcement, the Web.com Tour’s long-term future is solidified by aligning with a growing, highly successful company whose expertise caters to the size of business that would include tournaments, charities and even players, as independent contractors.
Okay, so it's not IBM. But...I'm deleting the part about the wacky new playoff system...and then the accolades, accolades, accolades for Nationwide, and then the small print...
Through its relationship with the PGA TOUR, Web.com will make its services available for website development and online marketing to those groups.
“We are extremely pleased to welcome Web.com into the PGA TOUR’s family of sponsors,” Finchem said. “The Web.com Tour truly is an extension of the PGA TOUR and has proven to be the most effective and consistent indicator of future success on TOUR. We consider this an ideal association with a recognized industry leader in helping small- to medium-sized businesses become successful as a result of using its services. To that end, we are particularly delighted that, in addition to the sponsorship, Web.com will be offering its expertise to help our tournaments, players and charities enhance their own web presence.”
And in case you haven't heard of them...
About Web.com Web.com (Nasdaq: WWWW) is a leading provider of online marketing services that make it fast, easy, and cost-effective for small businesses to attract and convert new customers on the web. Web.com offers a complete range of web services, including domain registration, website design, online marketing, search engine optimization, lead generation, and e-commerce solutions for every stage of the small business lifecycle. In fact, more than 15 million successful websites have been created with Web.com tools and services.
Headquartered in Jacksonville, FL, Web.com has nearly three million customers. With the acquisition of Register.com in 2010 and Network Solutions in 2011, Web.com is now a leading domain registrar focused on the small business market.
