NBA & Coca-Cola Renew Tie; Will Other Partners Do The Same?

The NBA and Coca-Cola have expanded their strategic alliance with a new four-year agreement. The deal continues to tie Coca-Cola's Sprite brand with the NBA and NBDL, and Diet Coke and Dasani bottled water with the WNBA. Also, Coca-Cola will increase its marketing activity in connection with the '03 NBA All-Star Game in Atlanta, which is where Coca-Cola's HQs are located (NBA). USA TODAY's Theresa Howard reports Coca-Cola also will "increase its spending and promotion activities with the NBA" (USA TODAY, 4/16).

UP FOR GRABS? BRANDWEEK's Hilary Cassidy reports that "with all the NBA's sponsor deals slated for renewal after this season," the league is "gearing up for talks with existing and potential partners." Cassidy adds that "central to the negotiations will be" the NBA's new six-year deal with ABC/ESPN, TNT and AOL Time Warner. NBAE Exec VP Heidi Ueberroth said, "There won't be a sea of change in the way we approach partners, but you will see up to a half dozen new companies and categories" (BRANDWEEK, 4/15 issue).