NBA Inks Multi-Year Marketing Partnership With Under Armour
A day after announcing major ad partnership renewals with Gatorade, Anheuser-Busch and AutoTrader.com, the NBA on Tuesday announced a new multi-year partnership with fast growing apparel-maker, Under Armour, Inc. The deal will promote Under Armour's basketball shoe line, Micro G, which was launched just over a year ago. Terms of the deal were not released.
As part of this partnership, Under Armour will be able to feature its endorsers -- which include Brandon Jennings of the Milwaukee Bucks, Derrick Williams of the Minnesota Timberwolves, Kemba Walker of the Charlotte Bobcats, and Greivis Vasquez of the Memphis Grizzlies -- in official NBA uniforms to promote its basketball footwear in promotional campaigns, brand advertising, and at retail. Additionally, Under Armour and the NBA will team up to refurbish community basketball courts throughout the US.
"Partnering with the NBA allows us to showcase our innovative basketball footwear and roster of young, talented players through a platform that represents the pinnacle of the sport," said Matt Mirchin, Senior Vice President, Global Sports Marketing, Under Armour. "We share a passion with the NBA to help young basketball players get better, and our joint court refurbishment program will create more access to functional basketball courts where the next generation can hone their skills."
"Under Armour is a dynamic performance brand that is adept at capturing the imagination of athletes and sports fans alike," said Mark Tatum, NBA Executive Vice President, Global Marketing Partnerships. "With its dedication to enhancing the athlete experience, Under Armour is an ideal fit to help us expand access to the game in a variety of communities through the refurbishment of basketball courts."
The agreement comes on the heels of Under Armour's November 1 debut of its "Are You From Here?" campaign, the brand's largest basketball campaign to date.
An additional aspect of this new multiyear partnership is Under Armour's commitment to refurbish five basketball courts in local communities. Through this refurbishment initiative, Under Armour will be able to reach the broad and passionate fan base of the NBA by supporting the game of basketball at a grassroots level. The court refurbishments will be undertaken with NBA FIT as part of the NBA Cares Community Caravan. Under Armour plans to refurbish an additional five basketball courts throughout the year.
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