People love sports. We watch sports on TV, listen on the radio, read about victories and defeats in the news, and emulate those athletes who represent our ideals. We buy tennis racquets used by Serena Williams, golf clubs hit by Tiger Woods, and basketball gear worn by LeBron James. Sports and athletes are a common component in many companies’ marketing campaigns.
Thus, it seems only natural that the NBA, one of the largest sports franchises, is now going to allow companies to sponsor teams and have their logos emblazoned on team jerseys. Starting next season, new logo patches will be added to jerseys, with brands paying premium price for the NBA exposure.
So far, only six teams have signed sponsors:
- Philadelphia 76ers have a three-year deal worth $5 million per year with StubHub.
- Sacramento Kings signed with Blue Diamond Growers for a $5 million per year, three-year trial run.
- Boston Celtics have an $8 million per year, three-year agreement with GE.
- Brooklyn Nets also have a deal worth $8 million/year for three years with Infor.
- Cleveland Cavaliers have a multi-year sponsorship with Goodyear that includes a $1 million donation to Cleveland and Akron public schools.
- Utah Jazz has a $4 million sponsorship deal with Qualtrics, but will not use the company logo. Instead, it will use a logo for “5 For The Fight” campaign promoting cancer research.
Which companies do you want to see on your home team jerseys?
Group Activities and Discussion Questions:
- Discuss the role of branding and sponsorship of sports.
- Ask the students their opinions about the NBA jersey branding.
- Show the video of Goodyear sponsoring the Cavaliers:
- Divide students into team. Have each team select a company and brand to represent. Using company information about values and mission, have each student team select a sports team to sponsor.
- Explain how the company and team fit.
- Set metrics to measure the effectiveness of the sponsorship.
Source: Forbes, Brandchannel.com
