THE CANTON REPOSITORY IS OFFICIAL NEWSPAPER OF THE PRO FOOTBALL HALL OF FAME

The Pro Football Hall of Fame and The Canton Repository announced a three-year partnership that will designate the paper as the “Official Newspaper of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.” The agreement calls for enhanced marketing and advertising opportunities and special content generated about the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

“The Canton Repository has provided great support and coverage of the Pro Football Hall of Fame for more than a half century. The Repository and the Hall of Fame both stand for excellence,” Hall of Fame President David Baker commented. “We are excited to partner with the dedicated team at The Canton Repository who share the Hall’s commitment, passion and vision.”

“It is a great honor to announce this heightened partnership with the Pro Football Hall of Fame,” said Publisher James Porter. “We are incredibly proud to partner with an organization of excellence like the Hall, and we look forward to working together during this exciting time for the Hall and our region.”

The Canton Repository will be distributed to Hall of Fame guests on a daily basis. The newspaper will be wrapped in a specially created four-page section that shares the latest information about Hall of Fame news, events, and interesting features about the Game.

In addition, specially created content from the Pro Football Hall of Fame will be provided to The Canton Repository. A daily feature ranging from trivia to peaks inside the Hall’s vast collection will be featured on the newspaper’s front page. A new daily video series, “Pro Football Hall of Fame Today” that highlights happenings with the Hall will be posted on CantonRep.com each day. The newspaper will also publish a special section spotlighting progress on Hall of Fame Village, a $500 million development of the Hall’s campus that is under way. The content will also be provided to the outlets across GateHouse media, The Repository’s parent company.

The Hall of Fame and The Canton Repository will work jointly on advertising opportunities. The agreement also includes sweepstakes and promotions built around Hall of Fame Enshrinement Weekend or the Hall’s “Selection Saturday” at the Super Bowl when the new class is elected. An upcoming sweepstakes will treat winners to special invites to see the all new “A Game for Life” immersive holographic theater and the Hunt/Casterline Pro Football Hall of Fame Card Collection exhibit. “A Game for Life”  is the next generation of experiential entertainment that literally places fans into a themed locker room. The cutting-edge multi-sensory locker room theater provides a full range of emotions for fans who are immersed into a setting typically reserved just for Hall of Famers. Holographic versions of JOE NAMATH, GEORGE HALAS and VINCE LOMBARDI engage through a “magical chalkboard” with several Hall of Fame legends – ALAN PAGE, JIM KELLY, JIM BROWN, CURTIS MARTIN, STEVE LARGENT and others – to share the inspiring lessons learned from the Game that are, in reality, lessons for life. The Hunt/Casterline Pro Football Hall of Fame Card Collection is the highest graded and most valuable football card card collection in the world. Both attractions open in mid-July.

Another part of the deal includes the Pro Football Hall of Fame co-sponsoring the “Best of Stark Preps” event created by GateHouse Media that will recognize the top athlete from each sport at every high school in the county. The Pro Football Hall of Fame will also establish a “Celebrating Excellence EVERYWHERE Award” to be presented to one selected student. This year’s event on June 14 will include Baker as the emcee and Hall of Famer MICHAEL IRVIN as the keynote speaker. The Hall will also provide support and consultation on the production of the event. In addition, the Hall of Fame helped secure Hall of Fame quarterback DAN MARINO for a “Best of Preps” event in Rock Island, Illinois on June 20.

The Hall’s world-class hospitality services will be made available to The Canton Repository for two events annually in which the newspaper can host advertisers and clients. One of the events will include either Baker or a Gold Jacket (living Hall of Famer) as a motivational speaker.