Menu
Research and Ratings

Stalwarts thrive; AmEx, Taco Bell struggle in NBA sponsor loyalty survey

Gatorade, Kia, State Farm and Verizon continued to increase their respective category-leading market shares, while American Express and Taco Bell struggled to make an impression in the minds of NBA fans, according to the league’s 11th annual Sponsor Loyalty survey, conducted for SportsBusiness Journal by Turnkey Sports & Entertainment.

After only two seasons as an NBA partner, Verizon was correctly identified as the NBA’s official wireless provider by 29 percent of the 400 fans surveyed. Sprint, the league’s wireless provider from 2011 to 2015, never topped 20 percent during that period, and in two of its five years as a sponsor the brand was topped by all of its major rivals (see chart below).

Verizon’s rise in awareness level last season coincided with its increase in NBA advertising. The company spent $43 million advertising during NBA-related telecasts last season, according to data from iSpot.tv, up 72 percent compared with the 2015-16 season. In each of those years, 8 percent of the company’s overall ad spend during the NBA season was earmarked for the league.

An uptick in its NBA presence helped Verizon’s numbers increase.
Photo by: GETTY IMAGES

T-Mobile still boasts a high awareness level among avid fans (17 percent), and even though its five-year NBA partnership ended six years ago, the brand’s 37 percent recognition rate that it earned in 2010 remains the category’s high-water mark.

State Farm is another league partner that is slowly pulling away from its rivals in what historically has been a competitive category. After tweaking its advertising approach to put more emphasis on its products and less on the sport, State Farm’s 24 percent recognition rate was the brand’s highest in its eight seasons as a sponsor.

Kia, a partner since 2007, saw its overall numbers go up for the fourth straight year, and its awareness level has nearly tripled since our 2010 study.

Gatorade, a partner since 1984, saw its fourth consecutive year of improved awareness among avid fans and continued to inch closer to its all-time high of 64 percent among that group, which it established in our inaugural study back in 2007.

Kia saw its overall recognition numbers go up for the fourth year in a row.
Photo by: GETTY IMAGES

However, many of the league’s blue-chippers lost ground.

For example, one-quarter of fans incorrectly believed that Visa was the league’s official credit card (see chart below). American Express returned in December 2010 as a leaguewide corporate partner after a five-year absence. The category had been vacant during that span. However, since becoming a sponsor, the only time AmEx topped Visa in our study came in 2016, when the sponsor netted 23 percent of the fan’s mind share versus 20 percent for the rival.

Similarly, Taco Bell, a sponsor since 2009, was topped by McDonald’s for the fifth straight survey. McDonald’s was the NBA’s official quick-service restaurant for the previous 19 seasons (see chart below). Taco Bell spent $30 million to advertise during NBA programming last season, which was a 36 percent increase over the 2015-16 season and the most it spent with any genre during the nearly eight months that the NBA was in action. McDonald’s spent $8.3 million during basketball programming last season, up 44 percent from the previous season.

Finally, recognition levels for Budweiser and Bud Light normalized following a surge in 2016. One-third of fans in this summer’s study were aware of the brands’ status as the league’s official beer, down from 42 percent a year ago. From 2007 to 2015, the Anheuser-Busch brands averaged a 29 percent recognition rate.


Methodology
For this project, Turnkey Sports & Entertainment, through its Turnkey Intelligence operation, conducted national consumer research surveys among a sample of more than 400 members of the Toluna online panel who were at least 18 years old.

The 2017 survey was conducted May 23-30, a period that coincided with the NBA conference finals. The 2016 and 2015 surveys were conducted during a similar time.

Respondents were screened and analyzed based on their general avidity levels. Fans categorized as “avid” were those who responded “4” or “5” to the question “How big a fan are you of the NBA?” and claimed to “look up news, scores and standings several times a week or more often,” “watch/listen/attend at least 10 games per season” and “have a favorite team.” Fans categorized as “casual” responded “3” to the same initial question, then claimed to “look up news, scores and standings several times a month or more often,” “watch/listen/attend at least 3 games per season” and “have a favorite team.”

When asked to identify official sponsors, respondents selected from a field of companies and brands that was provided to them for each business sector. Only the top-scoring companies and brands are listed in the results published here. The percentage responses listed have been rounded. The margin of error for each survey is +/- 4.9.

Turnkey Intelligence performs research for an array of North American major league teams, league offices and brands. The NBA and 24 of the league’s teams are among Turnkey’s clients.

NBA Fans’ Recognition: Wireless Service Sponsor

Brand (sponsor history) 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017
Verizon (2015-present) 13.2% 14.6% 17.8% 18.4% 11.4% 11.5% 12.5% 16.0% 22.3% 28.9%
T-Mobile (2005-2011) 17.4% 19.6% 26.8% 25.7% 18.1% 11.8% 15.3% 8.8% 9.0% 13.7%
Sprint (2011-2015) 9.9% 9.2% 5.5% 6.8% 16.4% 10.3% 19.5% 16.5% 12.3% 7.1%
AT&T Wireless 18.3% 15.3% 10.1% 9.1% 10.7% 10.8% 15.5% 17.2% 15.3% 18.5%

NBA Fans’ Recognition: Credit Card Sponsor

In the seven surveys fielded since AmEx became an NBA partner in December 2010, the brand has topped Visa just once.

Brand (sponsor history) 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017
Visa 17.8% 18.0% 22.8% 24.4% 19.8% 19.3% 24.5% 22.7% 20.0% 25.1%
American Express (2010-present) 20.6% 20.6% 18.5% 20.0% 19.8% 8.3% 15.8% 19.0% 23.0% 22.1%
MasterCard 12.5% 11.2% 7.5% 6.9% 8.8% 6.3% 11.5% 10.5% 12.0% 19.5%

NBA Fans’ Recognition: QSR Sponsor

Brand (sponsor history) 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017
McDonald’s (1990-2009) 15.9% 17.5% 16.5% 19.4% 17.1% 18.3% 28.0% 24.2% 25.3% 30.6%
Taco Bell (2009-present) 5.6% 2.8% 18.5% 19.8% 18.0% 8.3% 13.0% 14.5% 15.8% 15.7%

What Brands Do NBA Fans Consider Buying?

To Read: 63 percent of NBA fans said they would be more likely to consider purchasing a soft drink from a company that is the league’s official sponsor if they knew which company had that designation. The rate dropped to 23 percent when considering only those fans who did not know that PepsiCo (Mountain Dew) has a deal with the league in that space.

CATEGORY (NBA SPONSOR) AMONG NBA FANS WHO CORRECTLY IDENTIFIED THE SPONSOR AMONG NBA FANS WHO DID NOT CORRECTLY IDENTIFY THE SPONSOR DIFFERENCE
Soft drink (Mountain Dew) 63% 23% +40 pct. points
Wireless service (Verizon) 68% 34% +34 pct. points
Bank (BBVA Compass) 47% 13% +34 pct. points
Sports drink (Gatorade) 80% 47% +33 pct. points
Insurance (State Farm) 70% 37% +33 pct. points
Quick-service restaurant (Taco Bell) 73% 41% +32 pct. points
Credit card (American Express) 71% 40% +31 pct. points
Beer (Budweiser/Bud Light) 63% 34% +29 pct. points
Automotive (Kia) 51% 22% +29 pct. points
Consumer electronics* (Samsung) 73% 59% +14 pct. points

What Brands Do You Consider To Be Category Leaders?

To read: 57 percent of NBA fans said they think Gatorade is a category leader, compared with 21 percent who think Powerade could be a category leader. Those numbers became 73 percent and 24 percent, respectively, when considering only those NBA fans who correctly knew that Gatorade is the NBA’s official sponsor in the sports drink category.

AMONG ALL NBA FANS AMONG NBA FANS WHO CORRECTLY IDENTIFIED THE SPONSOR
NBA SPONSOR/COMPETITOR RESPONSE RATES DIFFERENCE RESPONSE RATES DIFFERENCE
Gatorade/Powerade 57% / 21% +36 pct. points 73% / 24% +49 pct. points
Verizon/Sprint 43% / 22% +21 pct. points 61% / 20% +41 pct. points
State Farm/Progressive 36% / 22% +14 pct. points 54% / 15% +39 pct. points
Bud Light/Miller Lite 36% / 21% +15 pct. points 56% / 20% +36 pct. points
Samsung/LG 56% / 34% +22 pct. points 65% / 33% +32 pct. points
Mountain Dew/Sprite 19% / 20% -1 pct. points 37% / 11% +26 pct. points
American Express/Visa 45% / 56% -11 pct. points 61% / 46% +15 pct. points
BBVA Compass/Wells Fargo 18% / 24% -6 pct. points 41% / 27% +14 pct. points
Kia/Toyota 21% / 46% -25 pct. points 40% / 51% -11 pct. points
Taco Bell/McDonald’s 24% / 57% -33 pct. points 45% / 58% -13 pct. points

* Samsung’s official category designation with the NBA is “handset, tablet and television.”
Notes: Fans could select both the official sponsor and the competitor if they chose to do so. The one specific competing company listed was selected by Turnkey for consideration in the survey file.

 

Impact on Sampling and Support

Are you more or less likely to consider trying a product/service if that product/service is an official sponsor of the NBA?

  Avid Casual
  2017 2016 2015 2017 2016 2015
More likely 74.0% 62.0% 47.5% 48.4% 35.5% 35.9%
Unaffected/less likely 26.0% 38.0% 52.5% 51.5% 64.50% 64.20%

Are you more or less likely to consciously support a company by purchasing its products/services if the company is an official sponsor of the NBA?

  Avid Casual
  2017 2016 2015 2017 2016 2015
More likely 72.5% 62.0% 53.5% 52.6% 36.0% 36.9%
Unaffected/less likely 27.5% 38.0% 46.5% 47.4% 64.0% 63.2%

Are you more or less likely to recommend a product/service to a friend or family member if that product/service is an official sponsor of the NBA?

  Avid Casual
  2017 2016 2015 2017 2016 2015
More likely 69.5% 62.0% 52.0% 48.5% 36.5% 33.9%
Unaffected/less likely 30.5% 38.0% 48.0% 51.5% 63.5% 66.2%

Which of the following is an official sponsor of the NBA?

  Avid Casual
BEER
  2017 2016 2015 2017 2016 2015
Budweiser/ Bud Light* 32.0% 44.5% 23.5% 33.0% 40.0% 22.4%
Miller Lite 12.0% 6.0% 13.5% 8.8% 7.5% 10.0%
Coors Light 10.0% 6.0% 13.5% 10.3% 7.5% 7.5%
Heineken 9.5% 7.0% 5.0% 7.2% 1.5% 4.5%
Corona 8.5% 6.0% 6.0% 7.2% 2.0% 3.5%
I'm not sure 22.5% 27.5% 33.5% 29.4% 38.5% 46.8%
  Avid Casual
AUTOMOBILE
  2017 2016 2015 2017 2016 2015
Kia* 36.5% 37.5% 29.0% 26.8% 15.5% 14.4%
Toyota 15.0% 15.5% 12.0% 12.9% 9.0% 7.5%
Chevrolet 9.0% 6.5% 8.5% 13.4% 1.5% 11.4%
Ford 9.0% 7.0% 14.5% 9.3% 10.5% 5.0%
Hyundai 6.0% 5.5% NA 4.1% 4.0% NA
Honda 3.5% 2.0% 2.5% 3.1% 2.5% 3.5%
I'm not sure 19.0% 24.5% 28.0% 27.3% 44.5% 50.2%
  Avid Casual
INSURANCE
  2017 2016 2015 2017 2016 2015
State Farm* 27.5% 28.0% 20.5% 20.1% 16.5% 17.4%
Geico 19.0% 15.5% 17.5% 17.5% 14.5% 12.9%
Allstate 14.5% 13.0% 12.0% 8.2% 10.5% 10.9%
Liberty Mutual 7.5% 2.5% 6.0% 8.2% 2.5% 3.5%
Progressive 5.5% 6.5% 7.0% 9.3% 4.0% 6.0%
I'm not sure 22.0% 32.0% 31.5% 29.4% 47.0% 43.3%
  Avid Casual
QUICK-SERVE RESTAURANTS
  2017 2016 2015 2017 2016 2015
McDonald's 36.5% 30.5% 24.5% 24.7% 20.0% 23.9%
Taco Bell* 18.5% 15.0% 18.5% 12.9% 16.5% 10.4%
Subway 5.0% 9.0% 11.0% 11.9% 8.5% 8.0%
Burger King 8.5% 5.5% 6.5% 3.6% 5.0% 5.5%
Wendy's 3.5% 2.0% 5.0% 6.7% 2.5% 2.0%
I'm not sure 21.0% 31.0% 30.0% 33.5% 42.0% 45.8%
  Avid Casual
SOFT DRINK
  2017 2016 2015 2017 2016 2015
Coca-Cola 31.5% 24.5% 23.0% 26.3% 19.5% 19.4%
Pepsi* 27.5% 24.0% 21.0% 25.8% 23.5% 18.4%
Sprite 13.5% 18.0% 18.5% 5.7% 10.5% 11.9%
Mountain Dew^ 9.5% 5.5% 3.0% 8.2% 4.0% 3.5%
I'm not sure 13.5% 20.0% 24.5% 25.8% 34.5% 38.8%
  Avid Casual
HANDSET, TABLET AND TELEVISION
  2017 2016 2015 2017 2016 2015
Samsung* 35.0% 33.0% NA 27.8% 23.0% NA
Apple 11.5% 7.0% NA 7.2% 8.0% NA
Sony 7.5% 4.5% NA 5.7% 7.0% NA
LG 4.5% 5.0% NA 4.1% 6.0% NA
I'm not sure 34.0% 43.5% NA 42.3% 50.5% NA
  Avid Casual
WIRELESS SERVICE
  2017 2016 2015 2017 2016 2015
Verizon* 30.0% 25.0% 15.5% 27.8% 19.5% 16.4%
AT&T 19.0% 15.5% 24.0% 18.0% 15.0% 10.4%
T-Mobile 17.0% 11.5% 9.5% 10.3% 6.5% 8.0%
Sprint 9.5% 14.0% 17.5% 4.6% 10.5% 15.4%
I'm not sure 19.5% 29.5% 30.5% 27.8% 40.5% 44.3%
  Avid Casual
CREDIT CARD
  2017 2016 2015 2017 2016 2015
Visa 27.0% 22.0% 25.5% 23.2% 18.0% 19.9%
American Express* 21.0% 28.0% 21.5% 23.2% 18.0% 16.4%
MasterCard 22.0% 11.5% 10.0% 17.0% 12.5% 10.9%
Discover 7.5% 5.5% 3.5% 5.7% 6.0% 5.0%
I'm not sure 21.5% 31.5% 35.0% 27.3% 43.0% 44.8%
  Avid Casual
SPORTS/ENERGY DRINK
  2017 2016 2015 2017 2016 2015
Gatorade* 62.5% 62.0% 55.5% 46.4% 49.0% 42.8%
Red Bull 11.0% 5.5% 8.0% 11.9% 5.5% 4.0%
Powerade 4.5% 11.0% 5.5% 8.2% 10.5% 10.0%
I'm not sure 13.0% 16.5% 21.5% 21.6% 27.5% 34.3%
  Avid Casual
BANK
  2017 2016 2015 2017 2016 2015
Bank of America 25.5% 14.0% 13.5% 17.5% 10.0% 12.4%
BBVA Compass* 23.5% 23.5% 12.5% 17.5% 13.0% 11.4%
Citibank 8.0% 7.5% 8.0% 9.8% 7.5% 7.0%
Wells Fargo 8.5% 8.0% 13.0% 7.2% 8.0% 8.0%
JPMorgan Chase 5.5% 7.5% 7.0% 6.7% 5.0% 8.0%
I'm not sure 21.5% 33.5% 38.5% 34.5% 52.0% 51.7%

* Official sponsor  ^ Pepsi's NBA sponsorship began in 2015, with much of its NBA activation around its Mountain Dew brand.  NA: Not applicable; category was not assessed in that year's survey.

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/Journal/Issues/2017/07/24/Research-and-Ratings/NBA-sponsor-loyalty.aspx

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

https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Journal/Issues/2017/07/24/Research-and-Ratings/NBA-sponsor-loyalty.aspx

CLOSE