By Aris Barkas/ barkas@eurohoops.net
In the vicious news circle, sometimes things that can be important are overlooked. This was the case with the Emirates and the NBA announcing “a multiyear global marketing partnership naming Emirates the Official Global Airline Partner of the NBA”.
Not only the in-season tournament has been renamed to “Emirates NBA Cup”, but also the NBA referees will wear a patch with the Emirates logo on their jerseys.
This will happen in the upcoming All-Star Game for the first time and what’s even more important is what Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Emirates Group Chairman and Chief Executive said. “
“With basketball’s popularity around the world, we are excited to work with one of the most globally recognized and prestigious professional leagues”, he said according to the press release.
So what this all has to do with the EuroLeague? You might remember that the Emirates is considered a possible alternative to the naming rights of the league when the deal with Turkish Airlines expires.
The marketing value of the NBA and the EuroLeague obviously is different, but with a EuroLeague team in Dubai, the interest of Emirates and the possibilities of an investment change.
This is just one global brand connected with Dubai and the NBA is an obvious choice. On the other hand, this doesn’t exclude an investment in the EuroLeague.
On the contrary, it proves that there’s not just the potential of a new market involved in a possible EuroLeague expansion it’s the case in Western Europe, but there’s also strong interest in marketing opportunities in the region connected to sports.
That’s not news, but with the NBA deal official and Emirates engaged in other activities like the NBA Global Games, it makes all the sense in the world for the EuroLeague to be next.
Photo Credit: NBAE/Getty Images