Beats by Dre announces new partnership with the NBA, named league’s official headphone
Beats by Dre is now the official headphone of the National Basketball Association, launching a multi-year, marketing and merchandising partnership that includes the NBA and all its entities (WNBA, USA Basketball, and G League). The Apple-owned powerhouse, founded by Dr. Dre, will add an array of audio equipment and class to the league, looking to put numerous side deals in place with individual NBA teams and of course individual players. Beats already has an extensive roster, including star basketball players LeBron James, Draymond Green, James Harden, Jayson Tatum, and more. Now, the partnership opens additional doors, and Beats will likely become prominent sponsor at All-Star games, the NBA Draft, and other key events.
This is the company’s first official partnership with a sports league and will create an array of crossover opportunities for Apple’s artist roster as well. The value of the deal is unknown, however, the NBA is estimated to earn $1.12 billion for the 2017-2018 season according to an IEG Sponsorship Report. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said,
“Through our partnership, we have an exciting opportunity to merge sports, pop culture, and technology to deliver unparalleled experiences and premium products to our fans.”
Beats by Dre president Luke Wood added, “The NBA and its players have long been significant drivers of global culture. Basketball, music, and style speak as one voice: Julius Erving became a style icon, Allen Iverson cemented hip hop’s place on and off the court and LeBron James is regularly breaking new music… the list goes on and on. This partnership with the NBA is the perfect alignment for Beats. It feels like coming home.” Check out this NBA and Beats YouTube ad (which seems more like a hype video) featuring James, Green, Harden, Karl-Anthony Towns, and more.
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