US insurance company Geico has been unveiled as the new jersey sponsor of NBA basketball team the Washington Wizards.
The multi-year agreement will grant Geico brand exposure on the left shoulder area of the Wizards’ jerseys, with its logo to also appear on the kit of women’s WNBA team the Washington Mystics and NBA G League outfit Capital City Go-Go.
The Wizards will debut the new jersey patch later today (Friday) during the game against Oklahoma City Thunder at Capital One Arena. All Wizards fans in attendance during Sunday’s game against the New York Knicks will also receive a Geico-sponsored jersey t-shirt to mark the new partnership.
Geico agreed the new deal with Monumental Sports & Entertainment (MSE), which owns and operates the Wizards, Mystics and Go-Go. Geico has been a partner of MSE for more than 25 years.
Ted Leonsis, founder, chairman, chief executive and majority owner of MSE, said: “When we set out to find a partner to share one of the most visible, most prominent partnership opportunities in sports, we knew we wanted a company that shared our commitment to community.
“Geico has been a pillar of the Washington, DC, community for decades, and they are one of the most influential advertisers in sports. That they have chosen to put their logo on their hometown teams is a great reminder of the power of basketball in Washington, DC.”
The NBA announced in April 2016 that teams would be permitted to agree jersey sponsorship deals as part of a three-year pilot programme spanning the 2017-18 to 2019-20 seasons.