Nets Launch Corporate Hoops Tourney To Attract New Sponsors

The Nets in March will host the 64-team Nets Metropolitan Madness Basketball Challenge, and the winning team "gets a free Nets sponsorship for the first two months" of the '09-10 season, according to John Brennan of the Bergen RECORD. Half of the tournament entries will be fielded by current Nets sponsors, while the other 32 will "go to prospective partners that have been targeted by the team." The winning team's sponsorship includes "courtside, visible-on-TV signage" at the Izod Center, radio ads and a spot on the team's Web site. Nets Sports & Entertainment President & CEO Brett Yormark, who will play for the Nets' entry in the tournament, said, "We want to create a friendly environment and relationship, where when companies think about their advertising needs, they think about Nets basketball." Each company that enters a team into the tournament will receive 25 free tickets for a Nets game. The championship will be held on March 30 at the Izod Center following the Bucks-Nets game (Bergen RECORD, 1/29). Yormark said the tournament is "all about working with companies that are looking to build their brands in a downturn of the economy" (WCBS880.com, 1/28).