The Warriors said that Oakland-based health plan provider Kaiser Permanente “is the first sponsor to buy into its new top-tier sponsor program, called Gold Alliance,” according to Eric Young of the S.F. BUSINESS TIMES. Sponsors in the program “are paying at least $1 million, compared to the approximately $600,000 paid by the team’s biggest sponsors in the past.” As part of its multiyear deal, Kaiser “will get a broader array of promotional opportunities during games, on telecasts and on the web than any other sponsors.” Warriors officials said that they “hope to land two more top-tier sponsors this year and as many as seven total.” The club currently “lists about 80 sponsors.” Warriors President & COO Rick Welts said that over time they may “have a smaller number of sponsors, but hope to get more money from each one.” Welts also said that the team will "ramp up hiring in order to solicit and service the club's biggest sponsors and to sell more tickets." He wants to "hire at least 10 people in the coming year, which would add to the approximately 120 front office employees." Welts said that the Warriors "will start the season with about 10,000 season tickets sold, about even with last year" (S.F. BUSINESS TIMES, 12/16 issue). In S.F., Joe Garofoli cited sources as saying that Welts and GM Larry Riley “will speak to all of the people who work at the arena and explain how the club will try to help them out before the holidays and through the season with other ‘rewards.’” An NBA source said any decision to help arena workers who were hurt financially during the lockout “will be handled at the team level” (S.F CHRONICLE, 12/17).
