Warriors CMO Chip Bowers during the team's preseason trip to China last week "held meetings with seven different Chinese companies to pursue various sponsorship opportunities," according to Mark Medina of the EAST BAY TIMES. Included were companies that "specialize in everything from e-commerce (Alibaba), to digital media (TenCent), smart phones (ZTE), liquor (Moutai), energy (Jinko Solar) and electronic gaming (Logitech)." Bowers even "squeezed in a visit with Moët Hennessy, a French-based luxury goods company that is seeking more mutual partners in China." Bowers said, "Because we’ve got really marketable players and a really marketable brand, I think it gives us an advantage if we’re strategic about it. It’s to get out in front of that to create more international partnerships and not just worry about some local relationships that we have." Bowers also "met with some of those local companies about collaboration, including United Airlines and JP Morgan Chase." Bowers said that it is "'too early to say' whether those meetings will expand their Chinese business portfolio." But he "sensed that 'there are a couple' opportunities." Bowers: "We’re looking at Asia holistically. How do we approach China? How do we approach Japan. How do we approach the Philippines? Those are three markets that have significant NBA fanbases. We see an opportunity with the big three" (EAST BAY TIMES, 10/10).
QUIET RIOT: The Warriors are under consideration for a spot in Riot Games’ reconstituted North American League Championship Series in “League of Legends,” a team source confirmed. Riot says that in November, it will announce the 10 organizations that will compete in '18, though multiple sources say the remaining applicants expect to be privately informed this week. Newcomers to the game would have to pay Riot $13M if accepted. Most esports experts believe that only two or three spots will be awarded to applicants that do not currently compete in the league (Ben Fischer, Staff Writer).
