When it comes sponsorships, look for the Big3 league to take a different approach from more traditional sports properties.
“I come from a background with more defined sponsorship roles,” said Amy Trask, who worked for the Oakland Raiders for decades prior to joining the Big3 as chief executive officer in April. “We are looking to be a bit edgier with our sponsor relations. Because we are not dependent on the revenue, we can be selective with the businesses and the terms we choose.”
The Big3 has retained Premier Partnerships to help attract sponsorship business, but there are challenges in signing deals prior to the June 25 inaugural event at the Barclays Center. The league was launched in January and announced its TV deal with Fox in April, creating short runway to pitch deals for the unproven league’s first season.
“There is a significant amount of intrigue,” said Jason Miller, executive vice president of corporate partnerships for Premier Partnerships. “People want to learn more about it. The challenge has been timing and going through the education process. The long-term proposition will be great once the league launches and we have some metrics.”
Premier and the Big3 are taking a deliberate sponsorship selling approach.
“In the short term, we are trying to be selective because it is so new,” Miller said. “If you associate with the wrong brand it can impact the equity of the league.”
