As a T-Mobile customer, it saddens me to announce that Magenta and the National Basketball Association have parted ways. I’ve been a longtime fan of T-Mobile’s partnership with the NBA and truly enjoyed some of the excellent commercials that came as a result. This doesn’t to me as a surprise however, as I remember reading about the possible split a few months ago. I guess the rumors were true, and we can say goodbye to the days of D-Wade and Chuck rocking the latest T-Mobile smartphones, and making us bust a gut with their humorous antics.
So, who’s next in line? Sprint, the Nation’s Now Network looks to have entered into an agreement with the league and will take over the reigns as Official Wireless Partner of the NBA. I don’t know — this just seems rather “blah” to me. I’m sure Sprint will do something to appeal to their intended audience, but there’s I can’t remember a time when I saw a Sprint commercial and said, “Wow, that was a great ad.”
At any rate, it was definitely a good run for T-Mobile, who entered into their partnership with the NBA back in 2005. Six years later, it looks like it’s just time to move on. Below you’ll find one of my favorite T-Mobile NBA commercials, followed by the full press release:
News Releases
14 December 2011
Sprint and NBA Join in Comprehensive Multiyear Marketing Partnership
NBA’s New Official Wireless Service Partner to Offer the Most Comprehensive App in the Marketplace for NBA Fans to Follow Their Favorite Teams and Players
Sprint to Debut Marketing Campaign “Welcome to the NBA Without Limits†to Promote Everything Data Plans to NBA Fans
NEW YORK & OVERLAND PARK, Kan. (BUSINESS WIRE), December 14, 2011 – The National Basketball Association (NBA) and Sprint (NYSE: S) today announced a comprehensive multiyear marketing partnership that will make Sprint the Official Wireless Service Partner of the NBA.
As part of the partnership Sprint will reach the broad and passionate fan base of the NBA through a wide array of assets, including marquee league events, television and digital exposure, and customized NBA mobile content for its customers.
A key element of the Sprint – NBA partnership is the development of a new custom app called “Sprint NBA Mobile†which will be the most comprehensive app in the marketplace for NBA fans. The app will include access to in-game and post-game video highlights, news, scores, stats, live home and away radio broadcasts, in addition to providing direct access to live ESPN NBA Games via Sprint TV’s ESPN Channel. “Sprint NBA Mobile†will be available on Android phones exclusively to Sprint customers by the tip-off of the season and will be offered at no additional cost with unlimited usage with an Everything Data Plan. The “Sprint NBA Mobile†app will also be updated with additional elements throughout the course of the season.
“Only Sprint delivers the NBA without limits to fans with truly unlimited plans, so fans can watch and listen to live games from their phones or check scores and stats as much as they want without worry,†said Dan Hesse, Sprint CEO.
“NBA fans are leading an increasingly mobile lifestyle, which makes Sprint an ideal partner to help them connect with our game at anytime, from anywhere,†said NBA Commissioner David Stern. “We look forward to working with Sprint to provide fans unlimited access to the NBA, beginning with the launch of the new, jointly developed Sprint NBA Mobile application.”
Fans looking to get even more NBA live action will be able to purchase NBA LEAGUE PASS MOBILE through the Sprint NBA Mobile app at an exclusive 20 percent discount off the subscription fee for Sprint customers only. NBA LEAGUE PASS MOBILE will offer up to 40 out-of-market games per week.
Sprint will also unveil a marketing campaign to support the partnership with broadcast and digital elements that show how Sprint’s Unlimited data plan provides its customers access to the NBA through the Sprint NBA Mobile app.
Sprint will serve as the presenting partner of digital promotion for Christmas Day games and will also be the presenting partner of the NBA All-Star Balloting program, which allows fans globally to vote to determine the starters for the NBA All-Star Game. It will also be the title partner of the NBA All-Star Celebrity Game and the NBA All-Star Pre-Game Concert, held before the NBA All-Star Game. Sprint will be an associate partner of NBA All-Star Jam Session, and the presenting partner of the NBA All-Star E-Recycling event, an electronic waste collection and recycling event. In addition to Sprint’s involvement with NBA All-Star activities, it will also be an associate partner of the NBA Draft and the presenting partner of NBA Green Week.
As part of this partnership, Boost Mobile recently became the first marquee partner of the WNBA and the league’s Official Wireless Service Partner. As the marquee partner of the WNBA, Boost Mobile is the league’s most prominent marketing partner and is tied closely to the WNBA brand on a national level. Beginning in the middle of last season and continuing through the rest of the partnership, the Boost Mobile brand is prominently featured on the front of the game jerseys throughout the league, marking the first time the WNBA has had a league partner with jersey branding with multiple WNBA teams throughout the season other than adidas, the league’s official outfitter.
Boost Mobile is also now the Official Wireless Service Partner for the NBA D-League. Boost Mobile this year was the presenting partner of the Boost Mobile NBA D-League National Tryouts, which took place in Chicago, Louisville, and Los Angeles. A total of 18 players, out of several hundred who had participated in the Boost Mobile NBA D-League National Tryouts, were then selected in the NBA D-League Draft Powered by Cisco in November.
For more information about the Sprint – NBA partnership go to www.sprint.com/nba.
