News Releases

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colorado (Sept. 26, 2017) — U.S. Figure Skating announced today that Bridgestone Americas, Inc. (Bridgestone), a subsidiary of the world’s largest tire and rubber company and a Worldwide Olympic Partner, will serve as the naming rights sponsor of 2017 Bridgestone Skate America, the annual International Skating Union (ISU) Grand Prix of Figure Skating Series event held in the United States. The Bridgestone entitlement is the centerpiece of an extensive new partnership with U.S. Figure Skating for the 2017-18 figure skating season.

2017 Bridgestone Skate America will feature 60 of the top skaters from around the world and is scheduled to take place Nov. 24-26 in Lake Placid, New York in the historic Lake Placid Olympic Center, 1980 Herb Brooks Arena. The field of skaters will be headlined by defending U.S. champions Nathan Chen (men’s), Karen Chen (ladies), Haven Denney and Brandon Frazier (pairs) and Maia and Alex Shibutani (ice dance). 2014 Olympic bronze medalist (team) and 2016 World silver medalist Ashely Wagner will also compete in Lake Placid, marking Wagner’s fourth time competing in the event.

In addition to the company’s support for U.S. Figure Skating and its standing as a

Worldwide Olympic Partner, Bridgestone is a partner of the United States Olympic

Committee and U.S. Paralympics through 2024. Bridgestone also became the first Founding Partner of the Olympic Channel in August 2016, signing a four-year agreement to support the groundbreaking digital platform in its mission to celebrate the Olympic Movement and the world’s greatest athletes every day of the year. 

“We are honored to have a company of Bridgestone’s stature associated with Skate America and as a partner of U.S. Figure Skating,” U.S. Figure Skating Executive Director David Raith said. “We have been impressed by Bridgestone’s commitment to supporting the Olympic movement and we look forward to working closely with them to showcase our great sport and dedicated athletes to the world.”

In addition to becoming the naming rights sponsor for this year’s final Grand Prix event, Bridgestone will serve as the official tire of U.S. Figure Skating and will receive a robust media schedule, including in-broadcast branded features, during figure skating coverage on NBC and NBCSN throughout the season. NBCUniversal will provide more than 10 hours of coverage of 2017 Bridgestone Skate America, including live windows on NBC Saturday, Nov. 25 (4-6 p.m. ET) and Sunday, Nov. 26 (4-6 p.m. ET). 

Earlier this year, Bridgestone inked endorsement deals with five 2018 U.S. Olympic hopefuls, including figure skaters Wagner and Nathan Chen, who will represent the company as a part of Team Bridgestone. Wagner, a three-time U.S. Champion, is the 2017 U.S. silver medalist, while Chen followed-up his 2017 U.S. title by capturing the gold medal at the 2017 Four Continents Championships. Both were members of the 2017 U.S. Figure Skating World Team.

 “We are thrilled to partner with U.S. Figure Skating on the Road to PyeongChang,” said Philip Dobbs, chief marketing officer, Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations. “Figure Skating is one of the most iconic winter sports and we are proud to support its events, including 2017 Bridgestone Skate America, and its athletes here in the U.S. this season. Not only does this new partnership continue our longstanding commitment to sport – and to Ashley and Nathan – but it is another exciting milestone for our company as we embark on our first Olympic Winter Games.”

Bridgestone will receive extensive on-site brand visibility during Skate America, while also receiving signage and activation rights around the 2017 Prudential U.S. Figure Skating Championships, scheduled to take place December 29, 2017 through January 7, 2018 in San Jose, Calif.

Single-session tickets for 2017 Bridgestone Skate America are on sale now. Tickets, starting at $25, are available at www.2017skateamerica.com/tickets, the Olympic Center box office or by calling 518-523-3330. A full schedule of coverage of 2017 Skate America on NBCUniversal and icenetwork.com, and the entire slate of 2017 Grand Prix events, will be released at a later date. 

-U.S. Figure Skating-

U.S. Figure Skating is the national governing body for the sport of figure skating in the United States as recognized by the United States Olympic Committee and the International Skating Union. U.S. Figure

Skating is comprised of more than 750 member clubs, collegiate clubs, school-affiliated clubs and more than

1,000 registered Learn to Skate USA programs representing more than 184,200 members. U.S. Figure Skating is charged with the development of the sport on all levels within the United States including athletes, officials, sanctioning of events and exhibitions, and establishing the rules and guidelines by which the sport is governed.

About Bridgestone Americas, Inc.

Nashville, Tennessee-based Bridgestone Americas, Inc. (BSAM) is the U.S. subsidiary of Bridgestone Corporation, the world’s largest tire and rubber company. BSAM and its subsidiaries develop, manufacture and market a wide range of Bridgestone, Firestone and associate brand tires to address the needs of a broad range of customers, including consumers, automotive and commercial vehicle original equipment manufacturers, and those in the agricultural, forestry and mining industries. The companies are also engaged in retreading operations throughout the Western Hemisphere and produce air springs, roofing materials, and industrial fibers and textiles. The BSAM family of companies also operates the world’s largest chain of automotive tire and service centers. Guided by its One Team, One Planet message, the company is dedicated to achieving a positive environmental impact in all of the communities it calls home.

About Bridgestone Corporation’s Worldwide TOP Olympic Partnership:

Bridgestone Corporation proudly announced its agreement to become an official Worldwide TOP Partner of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) on June 13, 2014. The 10-year partnership will see Bridgestone Corporation serve as a Worldwide TOP Partner at the upcoming Olympic Winter Games PyeongChang 2018, the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, where the company’s global headquarters are located, the Olympic Winter

Games Beijing 2022, and the Olympic Games 2024. The Partnership also includes support for the next two

Youth Olympic Games. The long-term commitment to the Olympic Movement furthers Bridgestone Corporation’s proud sporting heritage and history of innovation, which extends more than 100 years, and will showcase Bridgestone Corporation’s commitment to community service, social responsibility, environmental stewardship, and respect for diversity – all tenets of the Olympic Charter that also lie at the heart of the Bridgestone brand.