• Advertising Age, Wednesday, April 22, 2009 9:31 AM

It seems an NBA fan can't watch a game without a brand being thrust into the action. Is all this brand saturation making viewers weary? Could be. TNT's brand integrations throughout the NBA's 2009 season and this week's playoffs have prompted some criticism, particularly among bloggers.

Fans and bloggers seemed most irate during TNT's NBA All-Star coverage in February, when three of the NBA's top players spelled out the brand G-E-I-C-O in a game of Horse. But David Campanelli, vice president for Geico's media agency, Horizon Media, says the stunt ultimately garnered positive feedback for the advertiser.

Jon Diament, Turner Sports' executive, equates the NBA fan to the Nascar devotee in terms of their dedication to the sport. "The fan is getting conditioned to seeing more sponsorship elements. They're incredibly loyal," he says. "A product being advertised in a sport reaches that person who's very engaged with a team or league they're watching." Despite the blogger backlash, the ad influx has had no discernible impact on TNT's ratings, which are up this season to an average 1.5 million viewers.

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