• by Karl Greenberg , October 13, 2008

Hewlett-Packard and the National Basketball Association have signed a multi-year deal that puts HP equipment courtside and gives HP its first marketing deal with professional sports. The deal includes the development of technology for game broadcasts and webcasts.

The deal with the NBA, Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) and the NBA Development League (NBA D-League) makes the Palo Alto, Calif.-based company the NBA's "Partner in Technology Innovation," wherein HP will provide tech gadgetry and services to the NBA, WNBA and NBA D-League operations domestically.

The companies add that the deal includes programs in India via NBA's "Basketball without Borders" program; and in Africa, Canada, Europe, Latin America and the Middle East.

Hewlett-Packard was official sponsor of this year's NBA Europe Live presented by EA Sports in Paris and London last week, and the NBA is using HP's technology for stats collection and game operations throughout the tour. During the year, HP will also conduct integrated marketing programs throughout the NBA's major events.

Michael Mendenhall, SVP and CMO at Hewlett-Packard, says HP chose NBA for the deal because "we are both are focused globally, and we share the same focus on geographies; so the global nature becomes very attractive."

He added that NBA's fans are in all HP's key demographics: enterprise buyers, consumers and small to medium-size businesses. Mendenhall adds that HP activities will include advertising, signage, banners printed on HP printers, etc. "Yes, we will be doing media buys."

According to Mendenhall, the partnership is not limited to specific products, but touts printers, notebooks, "and hopefully, our enterprise."

HP has also had league relationships with the PGA with the New Orleans Classic; and Formula One globally. "As far as teams we had the Houston Rockets in the NBA and still have the San Jose Sharks (NHL), but nothing of this scale, reach and breadth," he says.