Tampa Bay Lightning score a new official bank sponsor

Just in time for the start of the preseason, Vinik Sports Group and Pittsburgh-based PNC bank announced that PNC is the official retail bank sponsor of the Tampa Bay Lightning. 

The sponsorship is the financial institution’s largest local sponsorship investment since entering the Tampa Bay market in 2011, according to a statement.

“Like the Lightning, PNC works hard to positively impact Tampa Bay and the lives of the people who live here,” says Chad Loar, PNC regional president for West and Central Florida in a released statement. “We’re proud to join this winning team and view our relationship as much more than a business opportunity. It’s a chance for us to demonstrate our long-term commitment to the community, more actively engage with our customers and align with a partner that shares our vision for the future of this region.”

The “Official Retail Bank” designation grants usage rights to the company and establishes brand presence for PNC Bank throughout the interior and exterior of AMALIE Arena, including a video board display on Channelside Drive and curbside kiosks in the Water Street District.

PNC has several sponsorships around the state including Miami Marlins and its Triple-A affiliate, the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp, participation in IndyCar’s Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg through Chip Ganassi Racing, the Daytona Tortugas and Jacksonville Icemen, and the company’s largest golf sponsorship, the PNC Championship.

PNC Bank has 2,200 branches, 60,000 PNC and partner ATMs around the country. In February, the company announced plans to invest nearly $1 billion to open more than 100 new branches and renovate more than 1,200 existing locations coast-to-coast through 2028.