Emirates and the National Basketball Association (NBA) today announced a multi-year global marketing partnership that establishes Emirates as the Official Global Partner of the NBA. This collaboration makes Emirates the inaugural Title Partner of the NBA Cup, formerly known as the NBA In-Season Tournament, as well as the NBA’s first official jersey patch partner.
As the first Title Partner of the new edition of the Emirates NBA Cup, the global airline will be present with a co-branded Emirates NBA Cup event logo, with a campaign promoted in collaboration with the NBA social media community and with a graphic presence inside the arena during the semi-finals and final of the tournament starting next season.
The Emirates logo will also be featured on all NBA referees’ jerseys, starting with the 2024 NBA All-Star Game which will take place on Sunday, February 18 at 8:00 pm ET (Monday 2:00 am in Italy live on Sky Sports and NBA League Pass).
“We are proud to have established a global marketing partnership with the National Basket Association by becoming its Global Official Airline Partner,” said His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Emirates Group Chairman and Chief Executive. “This collaboration will see Emirates become the league’s first referee jersey patch partner, and the first Title Partner of the NBA Cup. Given the popularity of basketball around the world, we are thrilled to partner with one of the most renowned professional leagues and prestigious in the world. The NBA represents an important added value to our sponsorship portfolio, as it allows us to reach a large global fan base also in the United States, where basketball is an integral part of the country’s sporting culture.”
“Emirates is a world-class airline that shares our commitment to engaging fans around the world in innovative and creative ways,” said Mark Tatum, NBA Deputy Commissioner and Chief Operating Officer. “As basketball continues to be recognized as the fastest growing sport globally, this collaboration will showcase the excitement of the NBA to millions of people who fly with Emirates every year.”
The sponsorship will also allow Emirates to have a presence at other marquee league events, including being a partner of NBA Crossover – an immersive event for fans during NBA All-Star – and as a Presenting Partner of NBA Finals Legacy Project, which involves the creation of new NBA Cares Live, Learn, or Play Centers in each NBA Finals team market. Emirates branding will also be visible through virtual signage within the arena and on the top of the scoreboard during nationally televised NBA games, starting with the 2024 NBA All-Star Game.
Emirates will engage NBA fans around the world as a partner of some preseason and regular season NBA Global Games, through interactive events dedicated to fans of the league, such as “NBA District” and “NBA House”.
Fans will have the opportunity to watch NBA content on all Emirates flights via the airline’s in-flight entertainment system, including documentaries, player highlights, interviews and more.
The marketing partnership will also allow basketball fans to purchase a wide range of official NBA merchandise, including basketballs, sports apparel and vintage collectibles, with co-branded collaborations to follow throughout the year. The merchandise will be sold at the official Emirates Store at Emirates Headquarters in Dubai and online at www.emirates.store, with deliveries all over the world. Emirates Skywards members will also be able to redeem Miles to purchase items from the exciting range.
The Emirates logo will also be featured on the jerseys of all referees in the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA), starting from the 2025 season, and the NBA G League, the official minor league organization of the NBA, starting from the 2024 season -25.
The 73rd NBA All-Star Game will take place at the Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana, and will reach fans in 214 countries and territories in 60 languages through live television, digital media and social media.
For almost 30 years, Emirates has actively supported basketball in the region, connecting with fans of this popular sport in Lebanon and the United Arab Emirates, and providing a platform to highlight top talent.
Emirates’ global sponsorship portfolio includes partnerships with top sporting clubs, tournaments, high-profile cultural events and more. Emirates’ association with the NBA will support the airline’s efforts to reach a broad audience of fans in the United States and around the world through a shared passion for basketball.
Emirates currently offers service to 12 US gateways, including Boston Logan International Airport (BOS), New York John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK), Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), Houston George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH), Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD), Washington DC Dulles International Airport (IAD), Seattle Tacoma Airport (SEA), Newark International Airport Liberty (EWR), Dallas-Fort Worth Airport (DFW), San Francisco International Airport (SFO), Miami International Airport (MIA), and Orlando International Airport (MCO).
Emirates
Emirates is the award-winning global airline operating the world‘s largest fleet of Boeing 777 and Airbus A380 wide-body aircraft, serving 140 cities across six continents through its efficient Dubai hub. The airline has won customer recognition for its industry-leading services on the ground and in the sky, delivered by a passionate workforce representing more than 160 nations. Emirates supports local communities around the world and unites people through its extensive portfolio of international sports and cultural sponsorships.
NBA
The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a global sports and media organization with a mission to inspire and connect people everywhere through the game of basketball. Built around five professional sports leagues: NBA, WNBA, NBA G League, NBA 2K League and Basketball Africa League, the NBA has established a major international presence with games and programming accessible in 214 countries and territories in more than 60 languages and products for sale in more than 200 countries and territories on all seven continents. NBA rosters at the start of the 2023-24 season featured a record 125 international players from 40 countries and territories. NBA Digital’s businesses include NBA TV, NBA.com, NBA App and NBA League Pass. The NBA has built one of the largest social media communities in the world, with more than 2.3 billion likes and followers across all league, team and player platforms. NBA Cares, the NBA’s global corporate social responsibility platform, partners with renowned community organizations around the world to address important social issues in education, inclusion, youth and family development, health and well-being.