NEW YORK, June 16 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- The National Basketball Association and The Coca-Cola Company have renewed and expanded their global marketing partnership to increase activities designed to connect with teens around the world.
Marketing partners since 1986, The Coca-Cola Company and the NBA will create themed promotions that will engage young people through unique digital programs. The initiatives will build upon the companies' recent joint programs such as Destination Dunk, an interactive site on NBA.com; The Finals Real Time, which provides fans with photo and text updates to their wireless phones; and iCoke China, offering exclusive opportunities to its members in China.
"The Coca-Cola Company is an iconic global brand that has the capability and vision to jointly create unique programs to reach the common goal of maintaining and growing our relationship with teenagers around the world," said Heidi Ueberroth, NBA Entertainment Executive Vice President.
"One of the things that makes our partnership with the NBA especially valuable is the great flexibility it offers in creating innovative marketing programs, particularly across emerging media," said John Hackett, senior vice president, Marketing, Coca-Cola North America. "Like us, the NBA recognizes that there are many ways to communicate with people and that the landscape is changing every day. Our relationship offers the freedom to anticipate and adapt to new opportunities so that we are always on the leading edge."
The Coca-Cola Company will be a marketing partner of NBA Europe Live presented by EA Sports, the league's most extensive international event featuring four NBA teams conducting training camp and competing against European teams in seven cities in the Fall of 2006 and 2007.
Coca-Cola and Sprite will also conduct NBA-themed events, promotions and advertising in China, Canada and additional countries. Advertising will appear during international telecasts of NBA games and programming in 215 countries and 46 languages. In addition, the brands support NBA grassroots programs that encourage kids to play basketball in China, Germany, Hong Kong, Mexico, the Philippines and Africa.
As the Official Soft Drink of the NBA, Sprite will continue to maintain a high level of promotional activity around NBA All-Star with its cornerstone continuing to be the Sprite Rising Stars Slam Dunk. Sprite has been the title partner of the event since 2003.
The NBA and The Coca-Cola Company started their partnership in 1986. The relationship has transformed as the globalization of business has increased and technology has changed.
2006 1986
Number of NBA international
players 82 (36 countries) 17 (12 countries)
Number of U.S. Internet users 200 million 200+
Number of U.S. broadband
subscribers 47+ million 0
Number of visits to NBA.com nearly 3 billion page
views 0
Number of language specific
websites on NBA.com 9 0
About the NBA
The NBA, founded in 1946, is a global sports and entertainment brand that features 30 teams in the United States and Canada. During the 2005-06 season, the NBA will distribute 44,000 hours of programming to 215 countries and territories in 43 languages. The league's worldwide reach can also be seen with 82 international players on NBA rosters. Domestically, the NBA broadcasted 142 games on national television this season on ABC, TNT, ESPN and ESPN2, and eclipsed the league's all-time attendance record for the third consecutive season.
NBA TV, launched in 1999 as the first 24-hour television channel created and operated by a professional sports league, will be distributed to 41 countries. NBA merchandise is sold in more than 100,000 stores in 100 countries on six continents, NBA.com gets more than half of its visitors from outside the United States and the league has a record 19 global and country- specific marketing partners.
As fans witness tremendous performances on the court, some of the NBA's most significant efforts occur off the court. This past year, the league launched its most ambitious community outreach endeavor, NBA Cares. Over a five-year span, players and teams will raise and contribute $100 million for charity, donate more than one million hours of volunteer service to communities worldwide, and build more than 100 educational and athletic facilities where children can learn and play. For more information on the NBA, visit NBA.com.
About The Coca-Cola Company
The Coca-Cola Company is the world's largest beverage company. Along with Coca-Cola, recognized as the world's most valuable brand, the Company markets four of the world's top five soft drink brands, including Diet Coke, Fanta and Sprite, and a wide range of other beverages, including diet and light softdrinks, waters, juices and juice drinks, teas, coffees and sports drinks. Through the world's largest beverage distribution system, consumers in more than 200 countries enjoy the Company's beverages at a rate exceeding 1.3 billion servings each day. For more information about The Coca-Cola Company, please visit our website at http://www.coca-cola.com/.
