The National Football League has had its share of scandals over the decades, but it’s safe to say the last few years have been quite challenging for Commissioner Roger Goodell with revelations about the long-term effects of concussions, players accused of domestic violence, the Tom Brady/New England Patriots Deflategate dispute and, more recently, the Colin Kaepernick debate regarding his national anthem protest.
However, a big piece of news that’s not likely to cause the NFL much controversy is changing its sponsor, replacing GMC (sponsor from 2012 to 2014) with Ford (entering into a three-year deal).
Ford F-Series pickups will now be the official trucks of the NFL. As part of the deal, Ford will sponsor a new award called the Built Ford Tough Offensive Line of the Week. Winners of the award will be announced every Tuesday afternoon here, and at the season’s end one line will be named Built Ford Tough Offensive Line of the Year. Ford also will offer tailgate parties and rides to games in a fleet of dedicated pickups through Uber as part of the three-year pact.
GMC got a lot of mileage out of its , and you can bet Ford is likely to make a big deal about this new partnership in new commercials as well. It’s worth noting that one of the most popular commercials ever to run during an NFL game was a Ram Super Bowl spot called “The Year of the Farmer” (see video below).
Ford also will be running a sweepstakes for a pair of Super Bowl 51 tickets and a 2017 Super Duty customized to showcase the winner’s favorite team. Right now Ford does not offer any football-themed special editions of the Super Duty lineup; however, it recently announced a special edition; each Dallas Cowboy F-150 comes with a special plaque bearing the signature of Cowboys owner Jerry Jones.
