PITTSBURGH, Sept. 25, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The Pittsburgh Penguins® of the National Hockey League have finalized an extension and expansion of a five-year sponsorship agreement with First Niagara Financial Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:FNFG). First Niagara expands its sponsorship as the “official retail bank of the Pittsburgh Penguins” and becomes the newest and 10th founding partner of the team, its top-tier sponsorship designation.

First Niagara will receive in-arena sponsorship exclusivity in the retail banking and credit card categories and is also the “official credit card of the Pittsburgh Penguins” and the named sponsor of CONSOL Energy Center’s First Niagara Club. The deal includes both debit and credit card promotions, bank branding in the CONSOL Energy Center on dasher boards, LED rings and digital displays throughout the Center, radio advertising on the Pittsburgh Penguins Radio Network and other promotional benefits, including First Niagara ATM’s at both downtown and Cranberry locations. In addition, First Niagara’s sponsorship includes branding and promotion opportunities at the UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex, the Penguins’ primary training center located in Cranberry, PA.

“We are very pleased to add First Niagara as our 10th founding partner,” said Terry Kalna, senior vice president of sales and broadcasting for the Pittsburgh Penguins. “First Niagara has been an excellent partner and a good corporate citizen, two important characteristics of all our founding partners who reflect the best of what the corporate community has to offer the people of Pittsburgh and western Pennsylvania.”

Commenting on First Niagara’s partnership with the Penguins, Todd Moules, First Niagara’s regional president, said, “Being a ‘founding partner’ and ‘the official retail bank of the Pittsburgh Penguins’ is an important part of First Niagara’s ongoing commitment to the western Pennsylvania community, our customers and employees. Extending our relationship with one of the NHL’s great hockey franchises further aligns our brand of banking services with a diverse audience of loyal fans and business partners. We’re excited about this partnership with the Pittsburgh Penguins and, of course, the start of the new hockey season in Pittsburgh.”

First Niagara has been a significant sponsor of the NHL franchise since 2010 when it became the “official retail bank of the Pittsburgh Penguins.” The First Niagara Bank brand and operations entered the western Pennsylvania market in the fall of 2009 when it acquired 57 former National City Bank branches from PNC.

First Niagara Bank is also a sponsor and the official bank of the NHL franchise Buffalo Sabres, a designation it has held since 2011 when the team’s Buffalo, New York hockey arena became known as First Niagara Center.

About First Niagara

First Niagara, through its wholly owned subsidiary, First Niagara Bank, N.A., is a multi-state community-oriented bank with approximately 390 branches, $39 billion in assets, $28 billion in deposits, and approximately 5,400 employees providing financial services to individuals, families and businesses across New York, Pennsylvania, Connecticut and Massachusetts. For additional information on First Niagara, visit us at www.firstniagara.com, follow us on Twitter @FirstNiagara, or like us on Facebook at FirstNiagaraBank.

CONTACT: Bob Butter
         Western PA Corporate Communications
         (412) 736-6186
         [email protected]
         or
         Jodi Johnston
         Director, Corporate Media Relations
         (716) 270-8612
         [email protected]