-Foot Locker Will Help Grow Basketball and Engage Fans in Canada Through NBA Events and Promotions-
-Foot Locker Also Expands Relationship with the NBA in the U.S. and Becomes an Official Marketing Partner of the League for the First Time-
TORONTO, Dec. 16, 2013 /CNW/ - The National Basketball Association (NBA) and Foot Locker Canada today announced a multiyear marketing partnership making the global athletic footwear and apparel retailer an Official Partner of the NBA in Canada.
Through this partnership, Foot Locker will help further grow basketball and engage fans by participating in league events held in Canada -- including NBA Canada Series and the NBA BIG Tour -- and marquee NBA events throughout the season, as well as by conducting a variety of NBA-themed promotions in stores across the country.
"We are very proud to partner with the NBA in Canada as other divisions of Foot Locker have all over the globe," said Nick Jones, Managing Director, Foot Locker Canada. "We see this partnership as pivotal in promoting the fantastic game of basketball in Canada at this very exciting period for the sport. Basketball is the heritage of Foot Locker, and we look forward to working with the NBA to not only give support to existing ball players who already share our passion for the sport, but to also promote the sport for future generations."
"It is such an exciting time for basketball in Canada, and Foot Locker is a great partner to build on the buzz the game is creating here," said Dan MacKenzie, Vice President and General Manager, NBA Canada. "Foot Locker has a broad appeal to fans across all sports and we look forward to connecting with their customers to keep growing the profile of basketball here."
The NBA and Foot Locker also announced today a new comprehensive, multiyear marketing partnership that makes Foot Locker an official marketing partner of the league in the U.S. for the first time. As part of this partnership, Foot Locker will continue as the title partner of the Foot Locker Three-Point Contest, an event featuring the NBA's best from long range competing against one another. Foot Locker has been the title partner of this exciting competition since 2004.
As part of NBA Canada Series, which took place October 20 in Montreal between the Boston Celtics and Minnesota Timberwolves, Foot Locker Canada ran an NBA Canada Series Fantasy Camp for select youth in Montreal. NBA Legend, Robert Parish was on hand to surprise the clinic participants and pass along his best advice. Foot Locker also received national exposure during the game broadcast on TSN 2 as well as through in-arena signage at the game.
Foot Locker also presented the Foot Locker Three Point Contest for fans at the NBA BIG Tour, a grassroots fan event which travelled to major shopping malls in five Canadian cities this September and October.
Foot Locker will also run promotions around marquee NBA events - including NBA All-Star and the NBA Draft presented by State Farm - that will offer exciting prize packages for fans. The NBA All-Star package includes tickets for two to NBA Jam Session, All-Star Saturday Night, and the All-Star Game, as well as an opportunity to participate in the NBA's All-Star Day of Service alongside NBA players. A second prize package will include two tickets to the NBA Draft presented by State Farm.
Foot Locker and the NBA previously partnered on the first-ever NBA Canada Series held at the start of the 2012-13 NBA season, which featured preseason games in Montreal and Winnipeg.
NBA popularity is rising in Canada with seven Canadian players having been drafted into the NBA in the past three years, including Anthony Bennett as the number one pick in the 2013 NBA Draft. In September, the league launched NBA.com/playball, a campaign aimed at increasing basketball participation among youth in Canada. Canada is also playing host to league events including the NBA BIG Tour in September and October, and NBA Canada Series for the second consecutive year.
About the NBA
The NBA is a global sports and media business built around three professional sports leagues: the National Basketball Association, the Women's National Basketball Association, and the NBA Development League. The league has established a major international presence with games and programming in 215 countries and territories in 47 languages and NBA merchandise for sale in more than 125,000 stores in 100 countries on 6 continents. NBA rosters at the start of the 2013-14 season featured a record 92 international players from 39 countries and territories. NBA Digital's assets include NBA TV, which is available in 60 million U.S. homes, and NBA.com, which averages more than 42 million page views per day, more than half of which originate from outside of North America. The NBA is the No. 1 professional sports league on social media, with more than 475 million likes and followers globally across all league, team, and player platforms. Through NBA Cares, the league and its teams and players have donated more than $225 million to charity, completed more than 2.6 million hours of hands-on community service, and created more than 830 places where kids and families can live, learn, or play.
About Foot Locker, Inc.
Foot Locker is part of Foot Locker, Inc., a specialty athletic retailer that operates approximately 3,500 stores in 23 countries in North America, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand. Through its Foot Locker, Footaction, Lady Foot Locker, Kids Foot Locker, Champs Sports, SIX:02, Runners Point, and Sidestep retail stores, as well as its direct-to-customer channel, including footlocker.com, Eastbay, CCS.com, SIX:02.com, runnerspoint.com, and sidestep-shoes.com, the Company is a leading provider of athletic footwear and apparel.
SOURCE: NBA Canada
Sinead Brown
Paradigm Public Relations
[email protected]
416-413-5193
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