SPANISH BANKING group BBVA has agreed a deal with the National Basketball Association’s (NBA) Development League (D-League) that will see the brand’s logo appear on all player jerseys during playoff games.
An extension of the bank’s current agreement with the NBA, signed in 2010, BBVA will become the presenting partner of the D-League playoffs and finals.
The BBVA logo will appear above the numbers on the back of players’ vests, a space usually reserved for player names which will be demoted to below the number.
BBVA will also receive branding throughout every arena in which games are played, including signage visible through television broadcasts.
While the value of the deal remains undisclosed, the branding of playing jerseys is the most significant aspect of the partnership.
The major Leagues in US sport – NBA, NFL, MLB and NHL – do not currently permit jersey sponsorship.
The women’s NBA has experimented with jersey branding but the BBVA deal with the D-League marks the first time corporate logos have been introduced to any affiliation of the male major leagues.
The partnership endorses the view that the NBA is likely to be the first major sport to fully integrate jersey sponsorship into its commercial structure, with the NBA board of governors having recently discussed the possibility for the season beginning in 2014.
BBVA’s director of brand and advertising, Sheiludis Moyett, is thought to have been involved in negotiations with the NBA.
By Luke Harman
Follow Luke on Twitter: @lukeharmanSBG