Sleep Number, NFL Ink Sponsorship Deal

February 1, 2018  by Larry Thomas in Business Strategy, Industry   

It’s the first time the NFL has partnered with a mattress producer, and was announced on the eve of the Super Bowl, which will be played Sunday in Minneapolis, where Sleep Number (formerly known as Select Comfort) is based.

Terms of the deal were not disclosed, but Street and Smith’s Sports Business Daily reported that Sleep Number will pay “in the high seven figures” for a minimum of three years.

Under terms of the agreement, every active player in the league will be offered a Sleep Number 360 smart bed with Sleep IQ technology. Sleep Number also will work with players, teams and trainers as they integrate sleep insights into their overall performance regimens.

“We are constantly assessing world-class technologies and partners and know this unprecedented partnership will provide players the ability to improve their performance through individualized, smarter sleep,” said Roger Goodell, NFL commissioner. “We’re offering Sleep Number’s revolutionary technology to maximize the body’s most basic need for renewal – sleep – to improve the well-being of our players and coaches.”

Sleep Number officials said the partnership will also leverage the company’s expertise in the impact of sleep on overall health and performance, while further strengthening the company’s already comprehensive sleep data insights.   

“We’re excited to make a difference for these world-class athletes as they benefit from our SleepIQ technology and the effortless adjustability of our beds. And we are thrilled to be entering a long-term partnership with a performance-based organization like the NFL,” said Shelly Ibach, Sleep Number president and CEO. “Our partnership builds on the deep relationship we’ve established with the Minnesota Vikings and the Dallas Cowboys, who understand the connection between sleep, training and performance.”