Miami, Fla. - September 12, 2022
Inter Miami CF announced today a major, multi-year partnership with Florida Blue. The state’s Blue Cross Blue Shield plan joins Inter Miami as the Club’s Official Community Partner and secures the naming rights for the state-of-the-art, $60-million training facility in Fort Lauderdale, now the Florida Blue Training Center. Continuing a trend of aligning with local, likeminded brands, this relationship is rooted in a desire to strengthen the local community and further Inter Miami’s mission to harness the power of fútbol to do good.
“We are thrilled to partner with Florida Blue, a company that shares our commitment to the people of South Florida,” said Inter Miami CF CEO and Managing Owner, Jorge Mas. “We look forward to working together to bring programs that will have a positive impact on the health and wellness of our community.”
The 50,000-square-foot training facility in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, which boasts six natural grass fields and one turf for the development of professional and youth players, will be leveraged to create unique activations for South Florida communities such as soccer clinics and inclusive events for families and fans.
Florida Blue will become the presenting partner of Inter Miami CF Special Olympics Unified Team. The team travels for exhibition matches, scheduled in conjunction with Inter Miami CF first-team matches, to reinforce inclusivity and showcase the talents and abilities to MLS fans. Inter Miami CF and Florida Blue will provide authentic MLS first-team experiences such as signing days, jersey unveils, practices and scrimmages with Inter Miami CF front office staff and first-team players, and game day recognition.
“Soccer is a game that can inspire kids and bring families and communities together – especially in our Latin American communities where it has been a mainstay for generations,” said Florida Blue President & CEO Pat Geraghty. “By partnering with Inter Miami, we hope to leverage the passion and camaraderie around fútbol in ways that can provide new opportunities to communities and elevate their health and well-being.”
During each year of the partnership, Florida Blue and Inter Miami CF Foundation will collaborate on powerful community efforts that will focus on improving the well-being of Hispanic neighborhoods in South Florida through education, health and soccer; which will provide essential tools to nurture inclusion and diversity across underserved communities. Employees from both organizations will be able to participate as volunteers for all efforts throughout Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties.
Beginning in 2023, Florida Blue also will have apparel rights on the upper back of the Inter Miami CF first team training top which will grant Florida Blue exposure on both the short sleeve and sleeveless training tops throughout pre-season, regular season and playoffs.
About Inter Miami CF
Club International de Fútbol Miami, known as Inter Miami CF, is an American professional sports team in Major League Soccer. The team made its debut in March 2020. Inter Miami plays and trains at its 34-acre centralized facility, which includes the 19,100-capacity DRV PNK Stadium, a 50,000-square-foot training center and seven fields in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. In addition to the MLS team, the Club fields MLS NEXT Pro team Inter Miami CF II and has a youth Academy for ages U-12 to U-19 as part of the MLS NEXT program. Please visit www.intermiamicf.com for more information.
About Florida Blue
Florida Blue, Florida’s Blue Cross and Blue Shield company, has been providing health insurance to residents of Florida for more than 75 years. Driven by its mission of helping people and communities achieve better health, the company serves more than 6 million members across the state. Headquartered in Jacksonville, Fla., it is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association.