Photo via Seattle Reign FC.
Photo via Seattle Reign FC.

Microsoft is becoming the de-facto jersey sponsor for professional soccer teams based in Seattle.

Seattle Reign FC today announced that Microsoft will serve as its presenting partner for the 2016 season, using the company’s technology both on and off the field, while also having the Microsoft logo appear on the team’s jerseys.

“We are excited by the opportunity to partner with Microsoft and look forward to the chance to work together during the upcoming season,” Seattle Reign FC owner Bill Predmore said in a statement. “Our collaboration with Microsoft exemplifies what we believe our partnerships can and should be: an opportunity to leverage our unique assets and experiences to add meaningful value to our partner’s business.”

Microsoft’s logo will appear on the Reign’s home and alternate jerseys for the 2016 season. The Redmond-based tech giant also has a separate deal with the Seattle Sounders FC, partnering with the team since 2009 to have its “Xbox” logo printed on player jerseys.

Terms of the new Reign FC deal with Microsoft were not disclosed. Moda Health was the team’s previous jersey sponsor; Microsoft is arguably now the highest-profile jersey sponsor in the National Women’s Soccer League.

Separately, Microsoft inked a deal with the Seattle Storm in 2010 to have its “Bing” logo appear the WNBA player’s jerseys, but that ended in 2014.

Seattle Reign coach Laura Harvey with owner Bill Predmore.
Seattle Reign coach Laura Harvey with owner Bill Predmore.

Microsoft and the Reign already worked together previously, with the tech company offering up its sports science and analytics platform to help Reign players and coaches improve their training regime. That will continue as part of this new deal, with the Reign utilizing Surface Pro 4 devices to manage training sessions.

“I am a firm believer that player data can be utilized to improve player and team performance and to better manage the fitness of our players,” Laura Harvey, Reign FC head coach and general manager, said in a statement. “Microsoft’s sports science and analytics platform provides our club with a powerful, easy-to-use way to develop actionable insights from the data we collect. I am excited about the impact this information can have on our club, and I am looking forward to working with Microsoft to provide a footballer’s perspective on how to optimize and evolve the platform.”

The Reign, which kick off their 2016 campaign on April 17, will also use an array of Microsoft products and services — Microsoft Azure; .NET; Power BI; Office 365 — for its front office needs as part of the deal.

Microsoft event logo

Led by Predmore, a veteran business executive who sold the digital agency POP to Advance Communications in 2013, the Reign — which joined the NWSL as an inaugural member in 2013 — have adopted other types of technology in the past, including the use of live video streaming app Periscope during games.

Microsoft, meanwhile, continues to invest in the sports world. Aside from these local deals, the company is investing heavily through partnerships with the NFL, NASCAR, Real Madrid, and other notable sports organizations around the world.

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