Angry Birds Join NFL's Eagles in First Team Partnership

The video above shows a cartoon of Philadelphia Eagles coach Andy Reid introducing some 'very special' new additions to the team. Their names? Red Bird, Bomb Bird, Yellow Bird and 'Big Brother Red Bird' Terence, as well as one more mysterious forthcoming bird.

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Confused? Here's the deal: Rovio's hit game Angry Birds has joined with the Eagles in its first partnership with a professional sports team. The deal includes an upcoming Eagles-themed version of the game, social media marketing pushes and Angry Birds themed Jumbotron replays, says a Wall Street Journal report.

According to Ari Roitman, the Eagles' senior vice president of business, partnering with Rovio is a key way for the team to continue making inroads with new fans who have grown up immersed in digital technology, gadgets and social media.

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"We've got to think about the generation that's coming into the prime years for loyalty -- who are they going to choose and what are they going to choose more importantly?" he told the Journal. "Is it going to be football or another form of entertainment. This is very much a play for that younger generation."

The Eagles are just one of many professional sports teams with avian nicknames and mascots, so don't be surprised to see more partnerships between Rovio and other franchises. Mobile games and sports stars have already proven an effective combination -- Chad Ochocinco, Cristiano Ronaldo and Mike Tyson have all launched successful titles for iOS devices.

Roitman says those were all concepts that helped the Eagles convince Rovio to join their team.

"I think they understand, and this was part of our pitch, that this is a very scalable partnership for them and if it succeeds and we have every confidence it will, this could open a massive door for them to walk right into," he told the Journal.

Do you think mobile games and sports are in fact a potent marketing combination -- or are deals like this one foolhardy? Share you opinion in the comments.

This story originally published on Mashable here.



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