• by Erik Sass  @eriksass1, July 28, 2014

The Washington Times has struck a deal with the Washington Redskins that includes marketing and content-sharing initiatives, the newspaper reported over the weekend. The new partnership will include special year-round coverage of the Redskins by the newspaper, as well as special promotions.
 
On the print front, the partnership includes a “Redskins Weekend Game Guide,” published weekly, that will wrap the Friday edition of The Washington Times during the NFL season, beginning this August that same month, The Washington Times will introduce a free digital magazine, “The Redskins Report.”

Turning to broadcast, sports reporters from The Washington Times will appear on Redskins-related radio and TV shows, as well as the team’s online pregame and halftime shows, to provide commentary and analysis on the team, players and games.
 
The Redskins will also give The Washington Times exclusive access to commentaries and interviews with players and coaches, which will appear in the new weekly print and digital publications, as well as special sections in the newspaper. The partners will collaborate on initiatives to expand their digital audience reach via social media and email.
 
The Washington Times President and CEO Larry Beasley stated: “The fan bases of both organizations have a lot in common and will benefit from the partnership. Both have rich histories of serving football fans, as well as active-duty and retired military members. The partnership also allows both organizations to expand the quality, breadth and interactive nature of their publications.”
 
The news comes amid a still-simmering controversy over the NFL team’s name, which some critics say should be changed because it is offensive to Native Americans. The Washington Times, which often embraces conservative editorial views, has been supportive of the team’s refusal to change its name.
 
This is just the most recent in a series of content-sharing deals aiming to increase the newspaper’s sports coverage. Last year, The Washington Times struck a content-sharing deal with Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic, which gave the newspaper access to channel's digital coverage for both its Web site and print editions, according to The Washington Business Journal .