adidas to Become Exclusive Uniform and Apparel Provider for NBA, WNBA and NBA Development League
Herzogenaurach/New York, April 11, 2006 – The adidas Group and the National Basketball Association have signed an 11-year strategic global merchandising partnership that will make the adidas brand the official uniform and apparel provider for the NBA, the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) and the NBA Development League (D-League) beginning with the 2006-07 NBA season.
The new merchandising relationship with adidas, a marketing partner of the NBA since 2002, comes as a result of the Group’s January 2006 acquisition of Reebok International Ltd., the NBA’s exclusive uniform and apparel provider since 2001 and includes rights to sell apparel as well as casual and performance footwear in the U.S., Canada, Europe, and Asia. The Reebok brand will continue to be a global marketing partner of the NBA and will maintain the ability to create NBA branded footwear.
“As part of the Reebok integration we as a Group made this strategic decision, which we believe will significantly help us to immediately increase the visibility of adidas as a sport performance brand in the U.S.,” said adidas Group Chairman and CEO Herbert Hainer. “In the long term this new 11-year partnership has the power to make the NBA and adidas synonymous in basketball.
adidas will design, manufacture, and market products for a wide assortment of unique NBA apparel collections utilizing the latest fabrics and technology featured in adidas branded apparel and footwear."
adidas and the NBA will also team up at retail with an increased adidas presence at the world’s only NBA Store, on Fifth Avenue in New York City, by creating an adidas-NBA concept shop that will be the prototype for additional retail development around the world. adidas will also sell NBA products throughout its retail locations around the world including the 2,100 adidas franchise stores in China.
“The adidas brand is recognized for excellence in sports heritage and performance on a global basis,” NBA Commissioner David Stern commented. “NBA and adidas branded apparel and footwear will be available to even more fans around the world continuing our effort to expand the league’s accessibility to anywhere fans can dribble a ball or watch a basketball game.”
“This partnership deepens our relationship with a sports league that continues to soar in global popularity,” added Erich Stamminger, President and CEO of the adidas brand. “We are building a foundation on which we can grow the sport of basketball globally.”
adidas and the NBA plan to support the partnership through an integrated mix of global marketing and media initiatives, including NBA Europe Live presented by EA Sports in 2006 and 2007, as well as grassroots events and branded media programs throughout the 215 countries in which the league distributes content.
About the NBA
The NBA, founded in 1946, is a global sports and entertainment brand that features 30 teams in the United States and Canada. During the 2005-06 season, the NBA will distribute 44,000 hours of programming to 215 countries and territories in 43 languages. The league's worldwide reach can also be seen with 82 international players on NBA rosters. Domestically, the NBA will broadcast 142 games on national television this season on ABC, TNT, ESPN and ESPN2, and is on pace to eclipse attendance records for the third consecutive season.
More than 200 licensees manufacture and promote NBA products, which are sold in more than 100,000 retail stores in 100 countries on six continents. Major categories include video games, apparel, sporting goods and trading cards. The NBA also owns and operates the world's only NBA Store in New York City and NBAStore.com. The NBA Store receives over 1,000,000 visitors annually, and features an array of multimedia attractions, including a fully operational broadcast booth and an official half-court used for special events, and regularly-scheduled appearances by NBA and WNBA players, legends and celebrities. NBAStore.com receives over 20,000,000 visitors each year and offers three international stores online in Chinese, Japanese and Spanish.
As fans witness tremendous performances on the court, some of the NBA's most significant efforts occur off the court. This past year, the league launched its most ambitious community outreach endeavor, NBA Cares. Over a five-year span, players and teams will raise and contribute $100 million for charity, donate more than one million hours of volunteer service to communities worldwide, and build more than 100 educational and athletic facilities where children can learn and play. For more information on the NBA, visit NBA.com.
About the adidas Group
The adidas Group is one of the global leaders within the sporting goods industry, offering a broad range of products around three core brands such as adidas, Reebok and TaylorMade-adidas Golf. Headquartered in Herzogenaurach, Germany, the Group has more than 25,000 employees and sales of around €9.5 billion.