NBA Int'l Games Reach New Levels With Record Number Of Sponsors

By Terry Lefton, Editor-At-Large

NBA Lands Record Number Of Sponsors For Int'l Games

The Bulls tip off against the Jazz in London’s O2 Arena today in a game that begins one of the NBA’s busiest overseas preseason schedules. A total of five games are scheduled for three continents, equaling a previous high. But as the NBA continues to make headway globally, the games have 40 sponsors -- a new high. “The event experiences -- being able to touch and feel our product -- are among the most valuable things we offer to sponsors, and overseas partners are realizing how valuable that can be in reaching specific audiences,” said NBA Senior VP/Int'l Development & Partnerships Emilio Collins. The European games continue on October 8 with the Jazz facing Euroleague Basketball’s Real Madrid in Madrid. The NBA will play its first game in Taiwan October 8 with Nuggets-Pacers, with the two teams meeting again Beijing on October 11. The Suns play the 76ers in Monterrey, Mexico, on October 18 at Arena Monterrey. Global NBA sponsors adidas, Coke and EA Sports are involved on all three continents. EA is presenting sponsor for the games in Europe and is tying in with a fan fest across various basketball courts in London, as well as retail promos and player appearances in all offshore locales in support of the launch of its "NBA Live 10" game.

ACTIVATION PLANS: The league in Europe has ramped up over the summer with 60 grass-roots events in 30 locales, including the league’s ever-present Jam Van mobile marketing platform. adidas sponsored a five-on-five competition, while the league’s championship trophy tour is being sponsored by Hannspree. Coke is presenting sponsor of the Monterrey game, where it is pushing its Sprite brand with a month-long touring fan fest called the “Sprite Summer Refreshment Tour." Other Mexican brands involved include Corona and Wonder Bread. In China, Coke is pushing its core brand with a billion NBA branded bottles in and around Beijing. Sprite gets the support in and around the game in Taiwan. Retailer 7-11 has a ticket promotion in all 5,000 of its Taiwanese stores, and Tsingtao has a 20 million bottle under-the-cap promo. Elsewhere on the international front, the expansive Indian market remains an intriguing target. The NBA has not scheduled a game there yet, but Collins said the league will open an office there before the end of the year.

EUROPEAN GAMES
Marketing Partners For Both Games	adidas, American Airlines, Carey, Champion, Coca-Cola, EA Sports, Hannspree, Hewlett-Packard, Spalding
London-Only Partners	Amex, LastMinute.com, LVCVA, O2
Madrid-Only Partners	City of Madrid, Greece Tourism
ASIAN GAMES
Marketing Partners For Both Games	adidas, Coke, Gatorade, Lenovo, Spalding, Tsingtao Beer
Beijing-Only Partners	China Mobile, Mengniu, Toyota
Taipei-Only Partners	7-Eleven, Cathay Financial, Chunghwa Telecom, EA Sports, TTL Bio-Tech
MONTERREY GAME
Marketing Partners	AA, Corona, EA Sports, Gatorade, Hewlett-Packard, Santander, Space, Sprite, Telcel, Wonder Bread