By ALAN SNEL
LVSportsBiz.com called this one.
We predicted Zappos and downtown Las Vegas’ new professional soccer team, the Las Vegas Lights FC, would be the ideal business partners, with Zappos serving as a perfect sponsor for the front of the Lights’ jersey.
And today the Lights confirmed it by announcing that the online shoe and clothing retailer that is the pride-and-joy of downtown Las Vegas would be the team’s first presenting sponsor under a new three-year deal.
Tony Hsieh’s Zappos, which has stayed away from sports sponsorship deals in the past, and the Lights joined forces for Zappos to be the club’s jersey sponsor and exclusive e-commerce sponsor.
Both Hsieh and Lights owner Brett Lashbrook have stressed the importance of downtown and the sponsorship makes sense because both are committed to building a vibrant downtown Las Vegas.
Not only will Zappos be displayed on the home and away jerseys, the online retailer also helped design the Lights’ kit.
Under the sponsorship, Zappos will host tailgate parties, have a big presence at the Lights’ home field — Cashman Field — and be present on the team’s marketing platforms.
The Lights are the 33rd team of the United Soccer League, the Triple A of professional soccer in this country, and will start play in February with three pre-season games against a trio of Major League Soccer clubs. The Lights’ regular season begins in March.
The Lights will share Cashman with the Las Vegas 51s in 2018. But the Triple A baseball team moves into a new 10,000-seat ballpark in Summerlin in 2019, so the Lights plan to renovate Cashman into a soccer-only venue for 2019.
Contact LVSportsBiz.com founder/writer Alan Snel at asnel@LVSportsBiz.com and follow LVSportsBiz.com on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.