Menu
Marketing and Sponsorship

NBA D-League To Become G-League As Part Of Multiyear Sponsorship Deal With Gatorade

The NBA has signed an entitlement deal for the D-League, rebranding the property as the NBA Gatorade League next season. Gatorade’s new NBA G-League logo will be featured on all team jerseys. The entitlement deal will include on-court signage of the new logo, which also will appear on the league’s digital platforms. Even the league’s game balls will sport the NBA G-League logo. Gatorade also will use the league to test new products and equipment, a key component of the deal. D-League President Malcolm Turner said, “We are launching a new brand identity featured across all league assets, promotional initiatives, etc.” He also noted the Gatorade deal will “promote player performance, recovery, nutrition, training and things of that nature.” Financial terms of the multiyear deal were not disclosed, but it comes as Gatorade extends its NBA leaguewide sponsorship that dates back 30 years. Gatorade Senior VP & GM Brett O’Brien said the ability to incorporate product testing into the league was as much a part of the agreement as the entitlement. "It’s almost an incubation spot for us,” he said. The rebranding comes during a period of growth for the league that was created by the NBA in '01 with eight teams and will have 25 teams set to play next season compared to 22 this season. Next year, 20 D-League teams will be owned by NBA teams (John Lombardo, Staff Writer). 

G-UNIT: USA TODAY's Sam Amick notes this is the "first time" a major pro stick-and-ball league in the U.S. has "named an entitlement sponsor" for one of its properties. NBA Deputy Commissioner & COO Mark Tatum sees the deal as a "groundbreaking way to maximize the synergy that already existed" between the league and Gatorade (USA TODAY, 2/14). AD AGE's E.J. Schultz noted the NBA has "been seeking a title sponsor" for the D-League "since as far back" as at least '14. The deal will "follow the model set by NASCAR," whose top three series are sponsored by Monster Energy, Xfinity and Camping World. The NBA has "shown a willingness to get aggressive with its corporate sponsorship deals." The league in April approved the sale of on-jersey advertising starting with the '17-18 season as "part of a three-year pilot program" (ADAGE.com, 2/13).

MONEY MONSTERS: YAHOO SPORTS' Ben Rohrbach notes when Turner was hired in '14, one of NBA Commissioner Adam Silver’s "top directives for his new hire was to land a sponsor for the NBA’s minor league system, and Turner succeeded in that mission" with Gatorade. The deal "makes sense for the D-League, which could use the increased revenue in its pursuit to build a true minor league system, with all 30 NBA teams eventually having a one-to-one relationship with a developmental team." The D-League "already features advertisements on team’s jerseys, and the naming-rights deal is another page out [of] the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague revenue building book." But the "worry here would be that the NBA ... would consider a similar rebrand," with further potential sponsorship deals giving brands "too much power in the association’s decision-making process" (SPORTS.YAHOO.com, 2/14). 

TWITTER REAX: Deseret News' Jody Genessy: "New slogan: @Gatorade, a minor-league drink." Diageo Brand Rep Sean McCloud: "I love marketing but this might be too much." NBC Sports researcher Christopher Estrada: "To all freaking out over the NBA Gatorade League ... it could be worse. 'Bridgestone Presents The Champ Car World Series Powered by Ford.'" Detroit-based Franco PR Group Digital Marketing Specialist Geoffrey Geist: "Just waiting for @POWERADE to make a clever statement not-so-subtly referencing the NBA Gatorade League."

SBJ Morning Buzzcast: March 18, 2024

Sports Business Awards nominees unveiled; NWSL's historic opening weekend and takeaways from CFP deal

ESPN’s Jay Bilas, BTN’s Meghan McKeown, and a deep dive into AppleTV+’s The Dynasty

On this week’s Sports Media Podcast from the New York Post and Sports Business Journal, ESPN’s Jay Bilas talks all things NCAA. Big Ten Network’s Meghan McKeown shares her insight into the Caitlin Clark craze. The Boston Globe’s Chad Finn chats all things Bean Town. And SBJ’s Xavier Hunter drops in to share his findings on how the NWSL is making a social media push.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

SBJ I Factor: Nana-Yaw Asamoah

SBJ I Factor features an interview with AMB Sports and Entertainment Chief Commercial Office Nana-Yaw Asamoah. Asamoah, who moved over to AMBSE last year after 14 years at the NFL, talks with SBJ’s Ben Fischer about how his role model parents and older sisters pushed him to shrive, how the power of lifelong learning fuels successful people, and why AMBSE was an opportunity he could not pass up. Asamoah is 2021 SBJ Forty Under 40 honoree. SBJ I Factor is a monthly podcast offering interviews with sports executives who have been recipients of one of the magazine’s awards.

Shareable URL copied to clipboard!

https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Daily/Issues/2017/02/14/Marketing-and-Sponsorship/G-League.aspx

Sorry, something went wrong with the copy but here is the link for you.

https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Daily/Issues/2017/02/14/Marketing-and-Sponsorship/G-League.aspx

CLOSE