The Chicago Blackhawks and Chicago Bears announced today a historic partnership between the two franchises, marking the first of its kind between an Original 6 National Hockey League team and a founding franchise of the National Football League.

“We are honored to partner with one of the most recognized brands in the world,” Blackhawks Senior Vice President of Business Operations Jay Blunk said. “The privilege and honor of associating with the Bears, one of the largest brands in professional sports, is one of the highlights of our young season. This will give our players and organization exposure to millions of loyal Bears fans.”

“Partnering with the Blackhawks is a unique relationship that showcases two storied Chicago franchises,” said Senior Director of Sales and Marketing Chris Hibbs. “The collaboration of the two teams and our star athletes is something we hope the passionate Chicago sports community can rally around.”

The cross-branding promotional initiative includes commercials, representation inside the United Center and Soldier Field during home games for each team and a wealth of other activities. The five sets of commercials that will be released this fall feature one Blackhawks player and one Bears player, emphasizing the mutual support between each organization and the city of Chicago. Blackhawks Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane, Patrick Sharp, Brent Seabrook and Brian Campbell will join forces with Bears Jay Cutler, Devin Hester, Robbie Gould, Lance Briggs and Greg Olsen in these spots.