The Golden State Warriors of the National Basketball Association (NBA) have extended their jersey patch sponsorship with Japanese e-commerce company Rakuten, which began in 2017.
The original patch deal was reportedly worth US$20 million a year, one of the biggest in the NBA.
The Warriors' deal lets Rakuten continue as the team's official e-commerce partner, video-on-demand partner, and affiliate marketing partner.
It also includes continued brand visibility inside the team’s Chase Center home venue, and across the Warriors’ digital platforms.
Rakuten will also have activation rights around merchandise giveaways and online store promotions and its global mobile voice messaging service Rakuten Viber also remains in place as the Warriors’ official partner in that category, while its Rakuten Kobo assumes the role of the team’s official ereader partner.
The Warriors and Rakuten have also pledged to continue working on community initiatives in the San Francisco Bay Area.
According to Brandon Schneider, president/CEO of the Warriors, Rakuten understands the evolving trajectory of the sports business industry, being a leading technology company.
