Fishing League Worldwide (FLW), the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization, and Lowrance, a world-leading brand in marine electronics since it invented the first consumer sonar device in 1957, announced today a multi-year sponsorship agreement that will extend through the 2020 FLW tournament season. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Partnered with FLW since 2006, Lowrance will remain the exclusive marine electronics, sonar and GPS provider of the tournament-fishing organization. The brand and its product lineup will receive premium exposure at all tournaments, outdoor expos and custom content across FLW’s media platforms including FLWFishing.com, FLW Bass Fishing magazine and the Emmy-nominated “FLW” television show. The 2018 YETI FLW College Fishing National Championship on the Red River in Shreveport, Louisiana, will also be presented by Lowrance.
“Simply put, our anglers, staff and fans rely on Lowrance products for success on the water,” said FLW President of Marketing Trish Blake. “Lowrance is the clear leader in the marine electronics industry and we are proud to announce our continued partnership. They have certainly demonstrated their commitment to FLW and the sport of professional bass fishing and we look forward to working together to build upon our previous successes.”
The deal comes on the cusp of the release of Lowrance’s highly-touted new HOOK2 series of fishfinder/chartplotters. At the heart of the world’s easiest-to-use HOOK2 fishfinder/chartplotter series is Lowrance Autotuning sonar – a new, game-changing solution that actively corrects sonar settings for the clearest underwater view. Now, anglers can spend more time fishing and less time making manual adjustments to their sonar settings. Most models will also feature full navigational capability and pre-loaded, high-detail mapping. The HOOK2 includes features and functions normally found on high-end electronics, at prices that are accessible for a wide range of anglers.
“Lowrance’s commitment to the FLW Tour and College programs goes way beyond our terms on the sponsorship agreement,” said Gordon Sprouse, Marketing Director for Lowrance. “Because these competitive anglers depend on Lowrance, we also make sure we have our service crews available to provide the support they need to be successful and safe on the water. The HDS Carbon fishfinder/chartplotter displays best-in-class performance for sonar, mapping and ease of use and we are proud to showcase our electronics with some of the best anglers in the world on the FLW Tour.”
Approximately one million Lowrance products are sold every year and the Lowrance brand has become associated with more innovations, new patents and distinctions than any other brand in the marine electronics industry. The Lowrance brand is wholly owned by Navico, Inc. A privately held, international corporation, Navico is currently the world’s largest marine electronics company, and is the parent company to leading marine-electronics brands Lowrance, Simrad and B&G. Navico has approximately 1,500 employees globally and distribution in more than 100 countries worldwide.
About FLW
FLW is the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization, providing anglers of all skill levels the opportunity to compete for millions in prize money in 2018 across five tournament circuits. Headquartered in Benton, Kentucky, with offices in Minneapolis, FLW and their partners conduct 286 bass-fishing tournaments annually around the world, including the United States, Canada, China, Italy, South Korea, Mexico, Portugal, South Africa and Spain. FLW tournament fishing can be seen on the Emmy-nominated “FLW” television show, broadcast to more than 564 million households worldwide, while FLW Bass Fishing magazine delivers cutting-edge tips from top pros.
By: Brian Johnson, FLW
