Emirates has announced a global sponsorship deal with the National Basketball Association that will see it become the first-ever referee jersey patch sponsor for the league and the title sponsor of the NBA Cup.
Under the deal, the United Arab Emirates flag carrier will be designated the ‘Official Global Airline Partner’ of the league and feature on a co-branded Emirates NBA Cup logo for the in-season tournament. The agreement also includes promotions on NBA social media channels and in-arena signage at the event.
The NBA Cup was launched last year and was previously called the In-Season Tournament. The LA Lakers won the inaugural title, with the semi-finals and finals of the competition being staged at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
In addition to the title rights to the competition, the Emirates has secured prominent branding on NBA referee jerseys for all league games, as well as in-arena virtual signage and branding on the top of the backboard in nationally televised league games. This will start with the NBA All-Star Game, which takes place on Sunday February 18.
The airline will also have a presence at league events including the NBA Crossover fan event at the All-Star Game and as the presenting partner of the NBA Finals Legacy Project, which involves the creation of new basketball facilities in each NBA Finals team market.
As part of the deal, Emirates will also show NBA content via its flight entertainment systems.
In addition, starting from the 2025 season, the airline will feature on the referees’ jerseys in Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) games and on the referees’ jerseys in the NBA G League, the official minor league of the NBA, from the start of the 2024-25 season.
Emirates is one of the highest-spending brands in sport but to date it has tended to focus its sponsorship spending in Europe. The brand has high-profile shirt sponsorship agreements with Real Madrid, Arsenal, AC Milan, Olympique Lyonnais and Benfica, as well as prominent deals in cricket, sailing cycling and golf.
The brand holds the sponsorship rights to three of the four tennis Grand Slams and has long coveted the sponsorship rights to the Wimbledon tournament.
The airline was previously a Global Partner of Formula 1 but it was replaced in this position by rival regional carrier Qatar Airways last year.
The brand already has a referee patch branding position in the Six Nations rugby tournament. In basketball it also sponsors the UAE Basketball Association and is a long-time sponsor of the Dubai International Basketball Championship.
Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Emirates Group chairman and chief executive, said of the NBA deal: “With basketball’s popularity around the world, we are excited to work with one of the most globally recognized and prestigious professional leagues. The NBA is a valuable addition to our sponsorship portfolio as it allows us to connect with a vast global fanbase, including in the US, where the game is an integral part of the country’s sport culture.”
NBA deputy commissioner and chief operating officer Mark Tatum added: “Emirates is a world-class airline that shares our commitment to engaging fans around the world in new and creative ways.
“As basketball continues to be recognized as the fastest growing sport globally, this collaboration will showcase the excitement of the NBA to the millions of people who fly Emirates every year.”
Emirates currently flies to 12 US cities including, Boston, New York, Los Angeles, Houston, Chicago, Washington, Seattle, Newark, Dallas, San Francisco, Miami and Orlando.