IMMEDIATE RELEASE
from Major League Fishing
Mercury, MotorGuide to sponsor Major League
Fishing
 |
| Photo Credit: Major League Fishing |
TULSA,
Okla. – January
10, 2012 – Offering praise to Major
League Fishing and its “exciting and innovative style” of competition, Mercury
Marine and MotorGuide - historic leaders in the fishing industry for outboard
engines and trolling motors - today announced their sponsorship of the new
league.
Major League Fishing, a
partnership between Outdoor Channel and 24 of the world’s best anglers,
features made-for-television bass fishing events designed to bring high-level
challenges to participants and entertainment, as well as insight, to audiences.
Mercury, the world’s largest
supplier of recreational boating engines, served as the exclusive engine
sponsor during the inaugural Major League Fishing event, filmed recently on
Lake Amistad in southwest Texas. All competing anglers fished in boats equipped
with 150-horsepower Mercury engines and MotorGuide trolling motors.
“Mercury Marine is proud to partner with Major League
Fishing on this exciting, innovative style of competitive angling,” said
Mercury Marine President
Mark Schwabero.
“Professional bass circuits have traditionally
featured engines in higher horsepower ranges, so we’re thrilled to see this
lower horsepower get a chance to be in the spotlight.”
Major League Fishing
Commissioner Don Rucks said Mercury has been the “unquestioned leader for years
in performance, durability and technology” in the competitive fishing industry.
Schwabero, indicating his hope
for a long-term partnership, said, “Mercury has just
introduced a new 150-horsepower fourstroke that we’d like to see on Major
League Fishing boats in the future. It’s the lightest, most durable engine in
its class, and it would be perfect for this style of action.”
Major League Fishing’s first
event, the Challenge Cup, took place November 6-11 on Lake Amistad near Del
Rio, Texas. The Lake Amistad event debuted the league’s innovative
format that allows anglers to compete with no limit on the number of legal fish
they can catch and weigh. Competitors were not allowed to begin competition
with stored, user-generated GPS waypoints, and were not allowed any practice
time. The anglers also were equipped with real-time leader boards in their
boats.
The Challenge Cup will be offered beginning February 6 on a
series of Internet-based pay-per-view broadcasts. The event will be shown on
Outdoor Channel in April.
About Mercury Marine and MotorGuide
Headquartered in Fond du Lac, Wis., Mercury
Marine is the world’s leading manufacturer of recreational marine propulsion
engines. A $2 billion division of Brunswick Corporation (NYSE: BC), Mercury
provides engines, boats, services and parts for recreational, commercial and
government marine applications. Mercury’s industry-leading brand portfolio
includes Mercury and Mariner outboard engines; Mercury MerCruiser sterndrive
and inboard packages; MotorGuide trolling motors; Mercury propellers; Mercury
inflatable boats; Mercury SmartCraft electronics; Attwood marine parts; Land ‘N
Sea marine parts distribution; and Mercury and Quicksilver parts and oils. More
information is available at mercurymarine.com.
Contact:
Lucas
Lauderback,
Mercury
Marine
Communications Specialist
(920) 929-5980
lucas.lauderback@mercmarine.com
About Major League Fishing
Major League Fishing is a partnership of 24
of the world’s most talented, influential professional bass anglers and the
Outdoor Channel. For more information about the new game, with new rules and no
limits, visit: www.majorleaguefishing.com.
About Outdoor Channel
Holdings, Inc.
Outdoor
Channel Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: OUTD) owns and operates Outdoor Channel,
America's leader in outdoor TV, and Winnercomm Inc., an Emmy Award winning
production and interactive company. Outdoor Channel offers programming that
captures the excitement of hunting, fishing, shooting, off-road motorsports,
adventure and the Western lifestyle and can be viewed on multiple platforms
including high definition, video-on-demand, as well as on a dynamic broadband
website. Winnercomm Inc. is one of America's leading and highest quality
producers of live sporting events and sports series for cable and broadcast
television. Winnercomm also owns and operates the patented Skycam and CableCam
aerial camera systems which provide dramatic overhead camera angles for major
sports events, including college and NFL football. For more information, please
visit