NBA Warriors Sponsor Looks to Extend Partnership
- Japan’s e-commerce giant paid $60 million in three-year deal
- The last season of the jersey sponsorship starts in October
Golden State Warriors goes in for a layup over the New Orleans Pelicans during an NBA basketball game at ORACLE Arena.
Photographer: Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images North AmericaRakuten Inc., which paid the Golden State Warriors $60 million for a three-year jersey sponsorship in 2017, is looking to extend the partnership as the National Basketball Assn. finalists head into the final season of their deal.
The logo patch, on a player’s left shoulder and 2.5 inches (6.35 centimeters) on each side, is key to raising Rakuten’s brand awareness in the U.S., said Amit Patel, who heads the Japanese e-commerce giant’s Americas operations, in an interview on Friday. While it’s too early to evaluate the sponsorship’s impact on revenue, the company has seen brand recognition among U.S. basketball fans jump 300% after the second season, according to Patel. The next NBA season begins in October.