- NBA Experiences to offer player meet-and-greets, behind-the-scenes tours, concerts, golf outings and fashion shows
- League extends Quint partnership dating back to 2010
The National Basketball Association (NBA) has taken a minority stake in QuintEvents as part of an expanded deal with the event solutions company.
The pact designates Charlotte-based Quint as the league’s official experiences provider and sees the creation of the NBA Experiences platform, which will create bespoke on and off-court programming.
NBA Experiences aims to offer additional access to the league through a variety of customised and immersive fan experiences at marquee events throughout the year, including All-Star weekend, the draft, Summer League and the Global Games.
The premium packages will include access to NBA events alongside off the court programming such as player and legend meet-and-greets, behind-the-scenes tours, concerts, chef’s tables, golf outings, fashion shows and hospitality hubs designed to reach fans globally.
The latest tie-up expands on the NBA’s relationship with Quint which dates back to 2010. The company’s other sports partnerships include a tie-up with Dorna Sports, the operator of global motorcycling series MotoGP.
“We are thrilled to be joining forces with a global powerhouse like the NBA,” said Brian Ruede, Quint president and chief operating officer.
“The NBA brand combined with Quint’s experiential expertise, technology and international capabilities will make NBA Experiences the best-in-class fan engagement.”
Joseph Graziano, the NBA’s senior vice president, head of global event strategy and development, added: “QuintEvents has a proven track record for providing unparalleled experiences at the world’s most coveted events in sports and entertainment.
“Tapping into their expertise to form NBA Experiences will allow us to engage with NBA fans in new ways and create lasting memories for years to come.”
SportsPro says…
US sports leagues are deepening their ties with event companies in order to offer more exclusive fan packages. In 2020, the National Football League’s (NFL) investment arm 32 Equity upped its stake in On Location Experiences to a reported 20 per cent as part of the deal which saw the premium hospitality and travel business acquired by agency giant Endeavor for US$660 million.
The size and value of the NBA’s minority stake in Quint has not been disclosed, but you would expect the league will have a more hands-on approach in operating the various fan experiences.
One of the main aims of the partnership is to reach fans globally, so it will be interesting to see what approach the NBA and Quint take for each territory. North America’s pre-eminent basketball competition has been busy expanding its international footprint this year, with the April opening of a new office in Singapore growing its presence to 15 markets worldwide.