BBVA Signs With NBA
- by Karl Greenberg , September 13, 2010
The bank also sponsors La Liga BBVA, Spain's top professional soccer league. Gregorio Panadero, BBVA Global Chief Communications Officer said, in a release, that the deal will help promote its BBVA Compass brand in the U.S. "Furthermore, both BBVA and the NBA align on many strategic points, for which the visibility of both brands in Europe and America is fundamental," he added.
BBVA Group says it has 7,600 branches, and approximately 105,000 employees in more than 30 countries. In the U.S., the company owns Valley Bank, Laredo National Bank, Texas State Bank, State National Bank, Compass Bank (which has 700 retail locations), and Guaranty Bank.
The company says it will use its Compass retail locations to run NBA-themed promotions around the NBA's own events and programs. BBVA Compass will have a presence on NBA national game telecasts on ABC, ESPN, and TNT, and on NBA TV and NBA.com, according to a BBVA release.
Compass will be presenting partner of a grassroots NBA tour that will make 20 stops across the U.S. The bank will also support the league's social responsibility initiative, NBA Cares.
As part of its WNBA partnership, BBVA branding will be in the 2010 WNBA Finals presented by adidas featuring the Atlanta Dream and Seattle Storm. BBVA's logo will be on both teams' jerseys for the entire series, marking the first time a single marketing partner will receive exposure on the jerseys of both teams competing in the WNBA Finals, other than the league's official outfitter.
In Spain, the partnership will include sponsorship of the NBA Europe Live presented by EA Sports game on Oct. 7 at the Palau Sant Jordi in Barcelona between the Los Angeles Lakers and the defending Euroleague champions FC Barcelona on Oct. 7.
BBVA says it will launch additional partnership activities in the U.S. to coincide with the tip off of the NBA regular season on Oct. 26.
