NBA officials set to debut sponsored Emirates Airlines patches in All-Star Game 2024

While the NBA is a sporting league, it is also a business, serving as a form of entertainment viewed by millions of people worldwide. A venture of such scale most definitely requires substantial amounts of money for the league to run successfully.

The league is set to make history with its latest sponsorship deal, venturing into paths that haven’t been traversed before. Starting with the All-Star Game, NBA referees will adorn the patches of the league’s latest global airline partner, Emirates.

NBA Referees to wear sponsor patches for the first time

NBA referees are viewed on television screens and broadcasts now more than ever. With the implementation of reviews, referees have been a focal point of telecasts, sometimes seen more often than players on the bench.

NBA Referees
NBA Referees are set to wear sponsorship patches for the first time via USA Today Sports

With that thought in mind, referees are going to adorn sponsorships for the first time in league history during the All-Star Game held in Indianapolis. As part of its global expansion and growth, the NBA entered into a multi-year agreement with Emirates, one of the two flag carriers of the United Arab Emirates. Besides the NBA-sponsored patches, Emirates will be promoted throughout the league.

The In-Season Tournament, which celebrated its first edition this season, will be renamed the Emirates NBA Cup. This strategic move comes amid the league’s massive spike in viewership over the past few years, attracting multiple investors keen on the money that can be gained through promotions and advertisement revenue.

Emirates
Emirates and the NBA have signed a deal which makes the carrier the global airline partner of the league via Hotelier Middle East

While NBA players started sporting NBA-sponsored patches and brand logos in 2017-18, this is the first time that the league’s game officials will receive any sort of branding on their uniforms. The move for branding on the referees’ uniforms comes after statistics showed that the officials appeared on television screens for long periods, paving the interest for advertisement opportunities.

Implementation plan for patches across NBA, G League, and WNBA

With the NBA making historic moves to promote the league, NBA referees are set to wear the Emirates Airlines-sponsored patches that will be debuted in this year’s All-Star Game on the 18th of February, at Indianapolis. Following the star-studded game, referees across the league will begin to wear the patches when the league resumes a few days after the game.

NBA Referees
NBA referees will begin wearing the patches this season and it’ll implemented in the affiliate leagues very soon via USA Today Sports

It is not just the NBA that will be part of this sponsorship. The patches will also be extended to the NBA’s affiliate leagues, the G-League and the WNBA. While the G-League officials will begin wearing the patches from next season, the WNBA game officials will start adorning the patches from the beginning of their 2025 season.

Emirates
Emirates has sponsored football team, Real Madrid for a very long time via Emirates

Emirates has dominated the sponsorships of other sports such football, becoming the main sponsor for teams like Real Madrid and now is set to make its mark on the basketball world.

Caleb Mathew

169 articles

Feel free to reach out to me at @calebmathewww on Instagram.

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