Sacramento Kings crown USSA as new partner

North American NBA basketball franchise the Sacramento Kings has signed an agreement with the US Ski and Snowboard Association (USSA), the national governing body for Olympic skiing and snowboarding.

Sacramento Basketball Holdings, owner of the NBA franchise, will serve as a sales agent for the Sprint US Grand Prix, the USSA’s major US Snowboarding and US Freeskiing event programme.

The three-stop action series will serve as a qualification series to determine the US Olympic teams for the 2018 winter Olympic Games.

Sponsorship and media assets will include official sponsorship rights and benefits, group licensing rights, event signage and hospitality, television, print, digital, mobile and social media assets with the Sprint US Grand Prix.

Sacramento Basketball Holdings will target national and international sponsors using intellectual property rights and the USSA's group licensing capabilities.

Kings president Chris Granger said: “Our two companies have a like-minded culture and shared vision of global growth, and we believe this relationship will create significant opportunities for our brands and communities.”