American Century Investments, NBC Sports Extend Partnership of American Century Championship

(STATELINE, NEV.) – American Century Investments will continue as title sponsor of the nation’s premier celebrity golf tournament, the American Century Championship, through 2022. The championship will continue to take place at Edgewood Tahoe Golf Course in Lake Tahoe as a result of a seven-year extension, jointly announced by American Century Investments and NBC Sports, owner and operator of the championship.

“Working in collaboration with NBC, Edgewood and the LTVA, the American Century Championship has become the gold standard of celebrity golf tournaments,” said American Century Investments’ Chief Marketing Officer Mark Killen. “This event provides our company with a high profile platform to tell the story about our unique ownership structure to a national television audience. We’re proud of the fact that more than 40 percent of our profits fund basic research to find cures for cancer and other gene-based diseases. Furthermore, the tournament has served as a backdrop for fundraising activities that have benefitted national charities, as well as worthy non-profits in the Tahoe area.”

The agreement was announced at a news conference during Friday’s opening round at Edgewood Tahoe Golf Course at the American Century Championship. The Lake Tahoe Visitors Authority will continue as official host destination for the championship, providing tournament volunteer coordination.

Jon Miller, president of programming for NBC Sports and NBC Sports Network, joined Killen to announce the partnership extension that runs through 2022. Financial terms were not disclosed.
“NBC’s partnership with American Century Investments over the past 17 years has been a spectacular success for all parties involved,” said Miller. “The tournament belongs here. This resort destination is the perfect location for the championship, and American Century Investments and the celebrities have fallen in love with Lake Tahoe.”

“We’re pleased to have the American Century Championship at Tahoe South for the next seven years,” said Carol Chaplin, executive director of the Lake Tahoe Visitors Authority. “The tournament’s branding is a recipe for success with its economic impact and marketing the South Shore of Lake Tahoe – California and Nevada – as a unique, world-class, year-round destination.”

The nation’s longest running celebrity golf tournament, the American Century Championship has donated more than $4 million to a number of national and local charities. The Stowers Institute for Medical Research is the official national beneficiary of the 2015 championship. Established in 1994 by American Century Investments founder James Stowers Jr., and his wife, Virginia, the Institute is a biomedical research organization that focuses on improving human health through basic research.

American Century Investments became title sponsor in 1998. With the new agreement, American Century Investments will celebrate 25 years as title sponsor of the American Century Championship in 2022.

The 2015 American Century Championship completed its 26th year and featured a record field of 91 participants headlined by entertainment superstar Justin Timberlake and 2015 Hall-of-Fame inductees Jerome Bettis, Tim Brown and John Smoltz. Former Major League Baseball all-star pitcher Mark Mulder won the 2015 American Century Championship with 82 points in the modified stableford format, highlighted by a final round 5-under-par 67. Fellow former Major League Baseball pitcher Eric Gagne finished in second place with 81 points. Nearly 41,000 fans attended the championship attendance, the largest turnout in the tournament’s 26-year history.