When the puck drops on New Year’s Day in Wrigley Field for a historic outdoor game between the Detroit Red Wings and Chicago Blackhawks, the Bridgestone brand will be at center ice as the title sponsor of the Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic 2009.

The Bridgestone brand will be showcased as the Official Tire of the National Hockey League and the National Hockey League Players Association to what is expected to be a significant viewing audience throughout North America. Last season’s Winter Classic on NBC earned the best U.S. ratings for an NHL regular-season game in over a decade.

As the title partner for the event, the Bridgestone brand will be provided with a number of assets in addition to incorporating its logo into the official game and event mark, including on-air title broadcast rights from all of the league’s broadcast partners; branded promotion in NBC programming; camera-visible placements of the Bridgestone logo; in-arena video spots and PA announcements; and integration of the Bridgestone brand throughout all NHL media properties, including video, print, online and radio.