• by Wayne Friedman , May 21, 2024

With rising interest in the NBA and new TV deals under negotiation, NBA teams collectively have seen rising average marketing and sponsorship revenue -- up 7% to $1.5 billion, according to SponsorUnited.

The research company says this is largely driven by new sponsorship efforts around in-season opportunities -- including a new In-Season Tournament that started up last fall.

Looking at a more granular level, some key brand categories showed gains, with technology up 26% to $122 million, health care 14% higher to $105 million, automotive 32% higher to $89 million and beverage-alcohol rising 24%, $98 million.

The most active brands this past 2023-2024 NBA season -- ranked by the number of sponsorship deals -- include Tissot at 31, followed by Michelob Ultra (26); State Farm (25); Ticketmaster (24); and Gatorade (24). 

Brands with rising in-stadium signage exposure growth include Casamigos Tequila (6); Frito-Lay (6); Gorilla Glue (6); Acronis (6); and Tire Rack (5).

In terms of season sponsorship deals,  Washington Wizards had the most NBA sponsorship deals -- 122, followed by the Toronto Raptors (114) and the New Orleans Pelicans (109). 

The highest social media engagement in terms of brand attachment for each team was seen with the Golden State Warriors (1.1 million); the Los Angeles Lakers (657,798); the San Antonio Spurs (275,255); the Boston Celtics (232,134); and the Chicago Bulls (227,818).

The best results for branded engagement per player include Stephen Curry (24 million); Giannis Antetokounmpo (20.5 million); LeBron James (14.3 million); Jimmy Butler (4.8 million); and Damian Lillard (3.2 million).

One major in-stadium innovation for NBA teams is a “glass floor” promotional opportunity -- a 27 million pixel LED screen, akin to a video Jumbotron, below players feet as they play, where graphics, and messaging, interactive games can appear.

SponsorUnited has a sports research database of over 360,000 brands, 1.8 million deals, and 16.9 million data points across sports, entertainment, media, and talent.