ESPN Events’ Fenway Bowl Announces Wasabi Technologies as Title Sponsor

 

The newly-designated Wasabi Fenway Bowl will be supported by a 16-member Executive Committee comprised of regional business, education, and non-profit community leaders

The Fenway Bowl, an annual college football bowl game at Fenway Park, has announced Boston-based Wasabi Technologies, the premier provider of hot cloud storage solutions for business, as the title sponsor as part of a new multi-year agreement. The Wasabi Fenway Bowl has also announced the formation of an Executive Committee, a 16-member organization that will provide strategic recommendations to foster the game’s educational and community-oriented mission.

The inaugural Wasabi Fenway Bowl, jointly produced by Fenway Sports Management and ESPN Events, will be played Wednesday, December 29 at 11 a.m. ET and televised on ESPN. It will mark the first college football bowl game to be played at the historic home of the Boston Red Sox, and the first Division 1 bowl game to be held in New England.

“The Wasabi Fenway Bowl will become a landmark sporting event for fans across the world, in one of the most iconic sports venues of our time,” said Michael Welts, chief marketing officer, Wasabi Technologies. “Our team could not be more excited to bring this experience to life with Fenway Sports Group and to have the Wasabi brand associated with a new, game-changing sports tradition in New England.”

Founded in 2017, Wasabi is redefining cloud storage with an entirely new approach to pricing, performance and security. Named one of technology’s 50 fastest growing companies, Wasabi’s “hot cloud storage” allows companies to store a nearly unlimited amount of data and access it at any time at a fraction of the cost of traditional providers, with better speeds and performance, and without complicated pricing tiers or egress fees. As a result, users can focus on fueling innovation in their business rather than the complexity of where their data is stored and how to access it.

“It is incredibly fitting to partner with a Boston-based company as we build a new sporting tradition for this region with the Wasabi Fenway Bowl. We are very excited to work with Wasabi to deliver a memorable college football experience and impactful community program,” said Fenway Sports Management President Mark Lev. “We are equally delighted to unveil the Wasabi Fenway Bowl Executive Committee to help us make that all possible. This broad collection of representatives from the region’s many fine institutions share our passion for the game’s mission, along with our founding level partners CVS Health, Amica Insurance, and Moderna.”

The Wasabi Fenway Bowl Executive Committee is comprised of leaders from various backgrounds, industries and networks who will enthusiastically support and help grow the Fenway Bowl into an annual tradition that New England can be proud of. Members of the 2021 Executive Committee include:

  • Peggy Byrd, Chief Marketing Officer, Boston Globe Media
  • Joseph Cooper, Assoc. Professor & Special Asst. to Chancellor for Black Life, UMass Boston
  • Kate Davis, Director, Mayor’s Office of Tourism, Sports and Entertainment, City of Boston
  • Gene DeFilippo, Senior Executive Director, Turnkey Sports & Entertainment
  • Avery Esdaile, Athletic Director, Boston Public Schools
  • David Gibbons, Executive Director, Massachusetts Convention Center Authority
  • Erin Gilroy, Consultant
  • Dave Hart, Founder/Owner, Athletics Legacy Partners
  • Erin McDermott, Athletic Director, Harvard University
  • James Morton, President & CEO, YMCA of Greater Boston
  • Jim Rooney, President & CEO, Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce
  • Bekah Salwasser, Executive Vice President of Social Impact, Boston Red Sox & Executive Director, Red Sox Foundation
  • Martha Sheridan, President & CEO, Greater Boston Convention & Visitors Bureau
  • Chris Smith, President & Executive Director, Boston After School & Beyond
  • Adam Whitfield, Director of Member Engagement, WHOOP
  • Michael Welts, CMO, Wasabi Technologies

The 2021 Wasabi Fenway Bowl will feature teams from the American Athletic Conference (AAC) and Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) determined by regular season win-loss record, geographic proximity, as well as previous appearances and matchups. Tickets and further details on the Wasabi Fenway Bowl can be found at the game’s website: www.fenwaybowl.com, on Facebook or on Twitter and Instagram @FenwayBowl.

About Fenway Sports Management

Fenway Sports Management (FSM) is a global sports marketing firm that specializes in partnership sales, consulting, and the creation of unique and memorable events and experiences. The company serves as the sponsorship sales arm for Fenway Sports Group (FSG), the parent company of the Boston Red Sox, Liverpool Football Club, New England Sports Network (NESN), Roush Fenway Racing, and Fenway Sports Group Real Estate (FSGRE). In addition to representing FSG’s network of properties, FSM also serves as the exclusive marketing agency for LeBron James through a strategic partnership with LRMR Ventures.

About Wasabi Technologies

Wasabi provides simple, predictable and affordable hot cloud storage for businesses all over the world. It enables organizations to store and instantly access an unlimited amount of data at 1/5th the price of the competition with no complex tiers or unpredictable egress fees. Trusted by tens of thousands of customers worldwide, Wasabi has been recognized as one of technology’s fastest-growing and most visionary companies. Created by Carbonite co-founders and cloud storage pioneers David Friend and Jeff Flowers, Wasabi has secured nearly $275 million in funding to date and is a privately held company based in Boston. Follow and connect with Wasabi on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and our blog.

About ESPN Events

ESPN Events, a division of ESPN, owns and operates a portfolio of 34 collegiate sporting events nationwide. The roster includes five early-season college football games, 17 college bowl games, 11 college basketball events and a college softball event, which accounts for approximately 400 hours of live programming, reaches nearly 64 million viewers and attracts over 800,000 attendees each year. With satellite offices in more than 10 markets across the country, ESPN Events builds relationships with conferences, schools and local communities, as well as providing unique experiences for teams and fans.

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Media Contacts:

Fenway Sports Management: Jackson Murphy ([email protected])

Wasabi: Kaley Carpenter ([email protected])

ESPN Events: Bill Hofheimer ([email protected])