Knicks Sign Multiyear Sponsorship Deal With Chinese Cell Phone Provider ZTE

The official cell phone of the NBA in China is now the official smartphone of the Knicks stateside. The team today is announcing that Chinese cell phone brand ZTE, the fourth-largest handset manufacturer in the U.S., has signed a multiyear sponsorship deal with club, joining the Rockets and Warriors as NBA teams with ZTE as a sponsor. ZTE signed on for NBA marketing rights in China last year. In the U.S., Samsung has NBA league sponsorship rights. ZTE’s deal with the Knicks includes courtside LED signage, digital inventory on the Knicks website and ads on videoboards outside of MSG. Lagardere negotiated the deal for ZTE.