The Irvine-based unit of TCL Communication Technology Holdings Ltd., the third-largest mobile phone manufacturer in North America, extended two existing partnerships in Major League Soccer and inked two more deals with new clubs in the country’s top soccer league.
The sponsorships extend deals with five-time MLS Cup Champion LA Galaxy and 2016 MLS Cup Champion Seattle Sounders FC, and add new ones with reigning MLS Cup Champion Atlanta United FC and the trophyless New York Red Bulls.
Under the multi-year agreements that began around the start of the latest season in March, TCL becomes the official smartphone and tablet partner for all four clubs.
Financial terms were not disclosed.
Since beginning to work with MLS clubs in 2015, TCL’s Alcatel and BlackBerry brands have been part of pre-match and in-game fan activities as well as brand advertising, social media and digital campaigns, in-market promotions and community participation.
“All four clubs represent some of the most passionate fan bases in the league, giving us new opportunities,” TCL Communication general manager Eric Anderson said in a statement.
Along with Alcatel and Blackberry, TCL’s product suite also includes TCL and Palm-branded products.
Its Chinese parent, based in Hong Kong, generates annual revenue eclipsing $2 billion.
The local unit, near the Spectrum, employs about 125 people.
The Business Journal in late-2016 was the first to report the unit signed a licensing deal with Waterloo, Canada-based Blackberry Ltd. after TCL said it would halt smartphone production and focus on software.
Under that agreement, Blackberry licenses its security software and service suite, and related assets, to TCL, which makes Blackberry-branded mobile devices and provides customer support.
Blackberry, in a bid to bolster its software offerings, bought Irvine-based Cylance Inc. in February for $1.4 billion.
Cylance’s security software fuses machine learning, artificial intelligence algorithms, and the cloud to thwart new and evolving threats and cyberattacks before they hit servers, desktops and virtual desktops.
Sustain SoCal Hosts 2 GG Startups
Two energy startups in Garden Grove pitched their stories to potential investors and interested stakeholders at Sustain SoCal’s 10th annual conference held April 11 at its headquarters at University of California-Irvine’s Applied Innovation center.
ReJoule, founded in 2017, aims to improve the energy efficiency of batteries to support clean energy.
Arctica Solar, established in 2015, developed an air heater that uses solar energy.
Panels during the day-long event explored energy efficiency, community choice energy, hydrogen’s role in a low-carbon future, energy storage, vehicle charging, grid modernization, the energy cloud and residential clean energy.
“It was a highly successful day in which we progressed toward collective solutions,” Sustain SoCal Chief Executive Scott Kitcher told the Business Journal after the event.
The trade group was previously known as Cleantech OC.
