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Amazon Joins U.S. SailGP Team as Official Retail Partner
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- Amazon Joins U.S. SailGP Team as Official Retail Partner
Amazon founder Jeff Bezos' yacht outings with his fiancé Lauren Sanchez get plenty of play in the tabloids, but Amazon — the brand — is heading for the water for a different reason altogether.
The company has been named the official retail partner of the U.S. SailGP team. The team is making its third trip to the Mubadala New York Sail Grand Prix on Saturday and Sunday in Manhattan, where racing fans will be able to see the Amazon logo. The company is signing on with a team that already has Tommy Hilfiger as its official apparel partner, along with support from other sponsors like AG1, Red Bull, T Mobile and others. Hilfiger suits up the team in all of its on-water apparel and most of its off-water apparel, too. In addition, Zhik, a specialist in wetsuits, thermals and weather gear, provides the high-performance gear.
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With Amazon on board, the U.S. SailGP Team is staying true to its MO of elevating the sport to a worldwide audience. That objective, of course, works both ways with the global shopping specialist positioned to welcome more newcomers to its base. Amazon debuted a U.S. SailGP Team storefront on Monday where shoppers can find $19 hoodies and tanks emblazoned with "Let's Go Sailing" and other items.
U.S. SailGP Team's chief executive officer and co-owner Mike Buckley, who is a two-time world champion sailor, noted how CBS' broadcasts of its three races this season in the U.S. has attracted an average viewership of about 840,000 people per broadcast, which falls between the National Hockey League's regular-season average viewership of about 500,000 and Formula 1's average of 1.1 million. Buckley, who invested in the team in the fall of 2023, said, "That puts us in the middle there, really knocking on the door of some mainstream sports properties. Add that to partnering with the second-largest company in America and maybe the most recognized with all of the users that are constantly in and around Amazon.com, that's a recipe that we look forward to seeing grow."
Buckley first connected with Andy Jassy, who is now Amazon's CEO five years ago, when they were collaborating on a technology-related project that was tied to the America's Cup project. As for whether Bezos will attend this weekend's races, Buckley said with a laugh, "I have no idea. I certainly hope so."
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Regardless, the Amazon logo will be easily spotted on U.S. SailGP's jib tail, a triangular sail that is forward of the mast. Buckley can already picture it. "There's going to be some iconic imagery with the Manhattan skyline behind our boat so I'm excited to see how the photos turn out Saturday and Sunday."
Sailing fans can also shop storefronts on Amazon that have been curated by such athletes as Anna Weis, Buckley, Hans Henken and Peter Kinney for their fashion, travel, beauty and skin care essentials. "When you go through branding exercises as you're building a business and people say, 'What are some brands that you would dream to partner with?' Amazon is one that is right up there at the top of the list," Buckley said.
Noting how Bezos started out with "a minivan and a bunch of books and had some enormous ideas that he has brought to fruition.
"That's how we like to think as well. To be able to partner with a brand that is so innovative in everything they do is what I'm most excited about. You always want to surround yourself with people, who are smarter than you so that you can constantly learn," Buckley said. "It's a real privilege to have Amazon as a partner."
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