Sources said the 76ers are second only to the Warriors with the size of their waiting listNBAE/GETTY IMAGES
The 76ers are on a 15-game winning streak and headed for their first postseason since '11-12, and President of Business Operations Chris Heck said that seats for next season are "already sold out," according to Sam Wood of the PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER. The fan base has "exploded in the wake of 50 wins" this season. Heck said, "We already have a 10,000 person waiting list." Sources said that only the Lakers have a "bigger ticket base," and the 76ers are second only to the Warriors with the "size of their waiting list." Corporate sponsorships -- "spearheaded by Toyota, StubHub, ShopRite, and the Rothman Institute at Jefferson -- also are up" a reported 50%. Heck: "We’re breaking records. In merchandise, we just surpassed the Warriors for the month of March." 76ers CMO Katie O'Reilly "hopes to galvanize the city -- and attract fans around the planet." A new marketing campaign around the team's trip to the playoffs includes an "interactive video component, celebrity brand ambassadors that include Questlove and the Roots, a grassroots social-media push, an intensive fan microsite, and ... 10,000 glass-clinging stickers." The marketing team also debuted a new playoff logo that "features the Liberty Bell festooned with a segmented snake" (PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER, 4/11). The campaign, titled “Phila Unite,” will see new Liberty Bell logo placed at midcourt for home games at Wells Fargo Center. The “Phila Unite” slogan will be featured on the court’s apron. No agency was used in creating the campaign, which builds on the team’s season-long "Spirit of 76" effort (John Lombardo, Staff Writer).
