The company has signed partnerships with six-time Super Bowl champions the New England Patriots, 2006 Stanley Cup champions the Carolina Hurricanes, 2019 NBA champions the Toronto Raptors and five-time MLS runner-up the New England Revolution. The agreements will give Align Technology access to marketing channels in the stadia where the teams compete and to digital and social media marketing channels belonging to the sports franchises.

In a series of press releases, which did not disclose the cost of the agreements, an Align spokesperson said the sponsorships would help to build awareness of “winning smiles” among sports fans.

Commenting on Align’s agreement with the New England teams, which are both owned by the Kraft Group, Frank Quinn, Vice President of Marketing and Business Innovation for the Americas at Align Technology, said: “We’re excited and proud to be working with the six-time Super Bowl champion New England Patriots and the New England Revolution […] Our brands have great synergy in terms of our shared commitment to excellence and a great history of creating winning smiles—for fans of both teams and for the more than seven million Invisalign patients worldwide.” Murray Kohl, Vice President of Corporate Sponsorship Sales at the New England Patriots, said the team believes “in the power of a winning smile and [looks] forward to working with Align Technology and the Invisalign brand to share that message with our fans.” As part of the agreement, Align will also become a sponsor of the youth soccer development program of the Revolution Academy, which has more than 44,000 participants annually.

Align’s agreement with the Carolina Hurricanes, which the company noted will continue over several years, gives the company access to marketing channels belonging to youth ice hockey initiatives. Invisalign will be the title sponsor of the youth hockey game and the summer hockey camp.

The market for professional sports in the U.S. is worth more than the equivalent combined markets in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. American football is the most popular sport in the U.S. and its flagship contest, the NFL, generated around $14 billion in 2018, according to Bloomberg.

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