• by David Goetzl , April 9, 2010

With ESPN airing a run of prime-time commercials for spirits and having launched a new digital series sponsored by Jim Beam, the link between sports and liquor advertising continues to escalate. The NBA said Friday it has inked a multiyear marketing agreement with Bacardi to back one of its rum brands.

Time was that networks and leagues were concerned about piquing regulators with possible ties to liquor brands. Another factor: they did not want to alienate beer marketers that have filled their coffers for decades.

But spending by beer brands could drop as new Anheuser-Busch owner InBev further reviews company marketing budgets.

The Bacardi deal also brings in Turner Broadcasting. The liquor marketer will run ads for its Gold brand during NBA telecasts on TNT, as well as on NBA TV and NBA.com, both run by Turner.

Bacardi will also attach its brand to the NBA's summer league and a fantasy camp affiliated with its minor league. Spirits companies view sports as a venue to reach men in the key 18-to-34 demo.

The spirits company has marketing partnerships with six NBA teams on the local level. For example, it sponsors "Postgame Parties" after Boston Celtics home games at bars near the team's arena.

Bacardi is also linking with some of the NBA's goodwill initiatives, such as a Thurgood Marshall Scholarship Fund and a WNBA program to inspire women. NBA executive Mark Tatum stated, "Both of our organizations share a deep-seated commitment to corporate responsibility."

At ESPN, a digital series with reporter Scoop Jackson, where he interviews athletes such as David Ortiz, is sponsored by Beam and carries a drinking-oriented title: "The Next Round." Similarly, InBev's Budweiser has a relationship with the NBA that includes sponsoring a "Thirst Quarter" sweepstakes currently promoted on NBA.com.