Tampa Bay Lightning Ink a Cross Endorsement Deal

    According to a recent story in the Tampa Bay Times, the Tampa Bay Lightning hockey team and the Tampa Bay Times Forum arena have signed an exclusive marketing partnership with Lakewood Ranch, an 8,500 acre Tampa Bay development across the bay in Manatee County. In this agreement Lakewood Ranch will become the exclusive residential real estate partner of the Tampa Bay Lightning hockey team.

    Lakewood Ranch was recently ranked the 9th fastest growing community in the United States. Its attraction seems to be two-fold. In addition to being located right in the middle of the glorious Florida Sun Coast with near-perfect weather, it is also conveniently close to all the wonderful amenities of both Sarasota and Tampa - St Petersburg, the two largest cities on Florida's Gulf Coast.

    The partnership between Lakewood Ranch and the Tampa Bay Lightning is expected to help the Lightning hockey team grow its regional footprint ssouthward into the Manatee and Sarasota County area while Lakewood Ranch gets to use the popular hockey team’s television reach into more northern markets.

    Lakewood Ranch will receive extensive brand exposure in the Forum arena during all Tampa Bay Lightning home games through in-game advertising features displayed on all four sets of corner boards in the arena. The partnership, it is hoped, will bring more attention to the Lakewood Ranch real estate scene in the northern U.S. and Canadian cities like Boston, Toronto, Chicago and Minneapolis, places where hockey is a very popular spectator sport.

    Equally important, the Tampa Bay Lightning hope that this cross endorsement will draw more people from the Sarasota - Bradenton area to drive into Tampa to witness Lightning home games at the Forum arena.

    "it's a win - win for both organizations, said Cheryl Stimac, a well-known Tampa Bay real estate broker and owner of Red Show Realty, Inc. and an avid hockey fan.