Kumho Tire Joins NBA's Growing Roster Of Foreign League Sponsors

The NBA on Thursday announced a multiyear deal with South Korea-based Kumho Tire as the league's first official tire sponsor. The deal, which covers the U.S. and South Korea, also includes D-League sponsor designation. Kumho will begin to activate at this weekend's NBA All-Star Game festivities in New Orleans. The company will get courtside signage during the regular season and will develop NBA-themed advertising. Kumho also will be the presenting sponsor of the D-League All-Star Game on Saturday, and the two teams in that contest will wear jerseys featuring the company’s logo. The deal marks Kumho's first with a U.S. sports league (NBA). AD AGE’s Michael McCarthy reported NBA execs “like how Kumho can help spread its brand globally.” The deal furthers the league’s “strategy of signing sponsors such as Spanish bank BBVA Compass and British spirits marketer Diageo that operate globally, rather than primarily in the U.S.” Kumho first got involved with the NBA through a deal with the Lakers (ADAGE.com, 2/13).