Rakuten signed a kit sponsorship deal with FC Barcelona for $235M over four years in '16GETTY IMAGES
Tokyo-based tech company Rakuten's faith in the Warriors and FC Barcelona is "close to bearing fruit with a double triumph in its first season of involvement" after FCB won La Liga and the Warriors lead the Cavaliers 2-0 in the NBA Finals, according to Chris Gallagher of REUTERS. Rakuten Dir of Global Marketing Rahul Kadavakolu said, "Obviously it's a great feeling to see both teams performing so well. Teams progress to playoffs and finals and deeper into a tournament, we get more exposure." Kadavakolu said that Rakuten was "committed for the long haul to boost its engagement with global consumers, not merely with advertising logos but via services" as well. Kadavakolu said, "This is just the start of a long journey. We still have a long way to go, there are a lot of other things that we need to achieve using these partnerships." Gallagher notes the NBA "launched a three-year pilot program to allow sponsorship logos on team jerseys," and so far Rakuten is the "only non-U.S. sponsor." Rakuten is a "household name in Japan, but has lower recognition elsewhere." Sources said that Rakuten's agreement with the Warriors is worth $60M over three years, making it the NBA's "most expensive patch deal" (REUTERS, 6/5).
