Next week marks the start of a new National Basketball Association (NBA) season, with a star-studded opening night on 18th October set to see the Philadelphia 76ers host the Boston Celtics before last year’s champions the Golden State Warriors start their title defence against the Los Angeles Lakers.
The league starts its 77th season on a sound financial footing after seeing its revenue for the 2021/22 campaign surpass US$10 billion for the first time, a landmark that surprised even commissioner Adam Silver given that the league has been dealing with the lingering impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Still, though, there are some pressing issues for the NBA to resolve as the action gets underway. Silver has rarely put a foot wrong during his tenure but received some criticism for the initial punishment handed down to Phoenix Suns and Mercury owner Robert Sarver, who was banned for one year and fined US$10 million after being found to have used racist language and displayed misogynistic behaviour during his time at the helm of the two teams.
Sarver has since put the Suns and Mercury up for sale amid mounting pressure from players and sponsors, and the identity of the club’s new owner will be a storyline that dominates the first few weeks of the season.
The coming months could also see some movement on the league’s next domestic media rights deal ahead of the expiration of its existing arrangement with ESPN and Turner at the end of the 2024/25 season. The NBA is the last of the five men’s US major leagues in line for a new broadcast deal and CNBC has reported that the organisation is seeking as much as US$75 billion from its next contract, which would be three times what it currently receives.
Whatever happens, the structure of those deals is likely to look a little different given the NBA’s continued focus on digital. The latest indication of the league’s ambitions in that area came with the launch of a reimagined global app in partnership with Microsoft. Intended to serve as a one-stop shop for fans, the platform houses the existing NBA League Pass and NBA TV direct-to-consumer (DTC) offerings and bundles those live game offerings with a vast array of original content, alternative broadcast options and archive footage.
That digital destination will no doubt be busy over the next few days as fans reacquaint themselves with North America’s preeminent basketball league after the offseason. Ahead of the start of the 2022/23 season, SportsPro presents its annual breakdown of the NBA’s teams, their main sponsors, and the league’s major television deals.
Commissioner: Adam Silver Deputy commissioner and chief operating officer: Mark Tatum Chief financial officer: David Haber President, team marketing and business operations and chief innovation officer: Amy Brooks Chief technology officer and EVP: Krishna Bhagavathula EVP, direct-to-consumer: Christopher Benyarko EVP and chief communications officer: Michael Bass EVP, digital media: Melissa Rosenthal Brenner General counsel: Rick Buchanan President, social responsibility and player programmes: Kathy Behrens President, global partnerships: Salvatore LaRocca
Note: All valuations are from Forbes as of October 2021. Sponsorship values have been officially disclosed or reported. Social media data, which includes Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and YouTube, is from Conviva.
Valuation: US$3.55 billion Owners: Wyc and Irving Grousbeck, Stephen Pagliuca and Robert Epstein Chief executive: Wyc Grousbeck Home venue: TD Garden (19,156) Arena naming rights deal: TD Bank (US$6 million a year, signed 2005, expires 2025) Jersey patch sponsor: Vistaprint (US$10 million to US$15 million a year, signed 2020, multi-year deal) Other partners: Arbella, Comcast, Dunkin’ Donuts, Gatorade, Harvard Pilgrim Health Care, JetBlue, New Balance, Putnam Investments, Socios.com, Verizon Local broadcasters: NBC Sports Boston (TV), WBZ-FM (radio) Total social media following: 19.5 million
Value: US$3.2 billion Owner: Joseph Tsai Chief executive: Sam Zussman Home venue: Barclays Center (17,732) Arena naming rights deal: Barclays (US$10 million a year, signed 2012, expires 2032) Jersey patch sponsor: Webull (US$30 million a year, signed 2021, duration not reported) Other partners: Ambulnz, American Express, Bio Steel, Brooklyn Bangers, Budweiser, Bulleit, Carmax, Ciroc, Clover, Corona, Fanatics, FanDuel, HSS, OHUB, ImperialDade, Jack Daniels, JetBlue, Johnnie Walker, Liu Brooklyn, Mackage, Maimonides, Marriott, MJHS, Modelo, Nationalgrid, New York Lottery, Nike, Qatar Airways, Red Bull, RTS, SeatGeek, Snapple, Socios.com, State Farm, SUN Chlorella, Tissot, Verizon, Xbox Local broadcasters: YES Network (TV), WFAN (radio) Total social media following: 9.3 million
Value: US$5.8 billion Owner: James Dolan President and chief executive: Andrew Lustgarten Home venue: Madison Square Garden (19,812) Arena naming rights deal: N/A Jersey patch sponsor: N/A Other partners: AB InBev, Delta Air Lines, DraftKings, Dunkin’ Donuts, Hospital for Special Surgery, JP Morgan Chase, Kia, Lexus, PepsiCo, Spectrum, Verizon Local broadcasters: MSG Network (TV), WEPN (radio) Total social media following: 11.5 million
The New York Knicks remain the NBA’s most valuable franchise
Value: US$2.45 billion Owner: Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment Chief executive: Tad Brown Home venue: Wells Fargo Center (21,000) Arena naming rights deal: Wells Fargo (US$40 million total, signed 1994, expires 2023) Jersey patch sponsor: Crypto.com (US$10 million a year, signed 2021, duration not reported) Other partners: Betway, Biosteel, Budweiser, AON, Chick-fil-A, Childrens Hospital Of Philadelphia, Corona, David Auto, Five Below, Kia, Molson Coors, Founders, Geico, Houwzer, Independence Blue Cross, LifeBrand, Moravia Health, BetMGM, NJM Insurance, NovaCare, PA Lottery, Peco Energy, Red Bull, Parx Casino, Septa, RushOrderTees, Snipes, Socios.com, Ticketmaster, Tissot, Troutman Pepper, Toyota, Verizon, Comcast Corporation Local broadcasters: NBC Sports Philadelphia (TV), WPEN (radio) Total social media following: 7.6 million
Value: US$2.475 billion Owner: Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment President: Masai Ujiri Home venue: Scotiabank Arena (19,800) Arena naming rights deal: Scotiabank (CAN$40 million a year, signed 2018, expires 2038) Jersey patch sponsor: Sun Life Financial (worth ‘more than’ CAN$5 million a year, signed 2017, duration not reported) Other partners: Air Canada, Bell Canada, Coca-Cola, Ford, Google, LG, Mastercard, McDonald’s, Molson Coors Local broadcasters: TSN and Sportsnet (TV), CHUM-AM and CJCL (radio) Total social media following: 9.1 million
Value: US$3.65 billion Owner: Jerry Reinsdorf President and chief operating officer: Michael Reinsdorf Home venue: United Center (20,917) Arena naming rights deal: United Airlines (US$5 million a year, deal signed 2013, expires 2033) Jersey patch sponsor: Zenni Optical (value not reported, signed 2018, expires 2023) Other partners: American Express, AB InBev, AT&T, BMO Harris Bank, Calamos Investments, Coca-Cola, FanDuel, Gatorade, Kia, Lexus, Plus500 Local broadcasters: NBC Sports Chicago (TV), WSCR (radio)
Value: US$1.65 billion Owner: Dan Gilbert Chief executive: Len Komoroski Home venue: Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse (19,432) Arena naming rights deal: Rocket Mortgage (around US$3 million a year, extension signed 2018, duration not reported) Jersey patch sponsor: Cliffs (more than US$10 million a year, signed 2022, duration not reported) Other partners: Betway, Cleveland Clinic, FirstEnergy, Fubo Gaming, Huntington, PepsiCo, SeatGeek, Socios.com Local broadcasters: Bally Sports Ohio (TV), WTAM, WMMS (English-language radio), WNZN (Spanish-language radio) Total social media following: 24.7 million
The Cleveland Cavaliers’ new jersey patch deal with Cliffs is worth a reported US$10 million a year
Value: US$1.58 billion Owner: Tom Gores Vice chairman: Arn Tellem Home venue: Little Caesars Arena (20,332) Arena naming rights deal: Little Caesars (more than US$6.25 million a year, deal signed 2016, expires 2036) Jersey patch sponsor: United Wholesale Mortgage (value not reported, signed 2021, duration not reported) Other partners: AB InBev, Belfor, BlueCross BlueShield, DarftKings, Everstream, Flagstar Bank, Kia Local broadcasters: Bally Sports Detroit (TV), WXYT (radio) Total social media following: 4.4 million
Value: US$1.67 billion Owner: Herbert Simon Chief executive: Rick Fuson Home venue: Gainbridge Fieldhouse (17,923) Arena naming rights deal: Gainbridge (value not reported, signed 2021, duration not reported) Jersey patch sponsor: Motorola (between US$8 million and US$10 million a year, signed 2018, duration not reported) Other partners: AB InBev, DraftKings, Gatorade, KeyCorp, Kroger, PepsiCo, Salesforce, Socios.com Local broadcasters: Bally Sports Indiana (TV), WFNI (radio) Total social media following: 7 million
Value: US$1.9 billion Owners: Wes Edens, Marc Lasry, Jamie Dinan President: Peter Feigin Home venue: Fiserv Forum (17,385) Arena naming rights deal: Fiserv (US$6 million a year, signed 2018, expires 2043) Jersey patch sponsor: Motorola (more than US$10 million per year, signed 2021, duration not reported) Other partners: BMO Harris Bank, Froedtert Health, Johnson Controls, Kohl’s, MillerCoors, Northwestern Mutual, Potawatomi Hotel and Casino, Red Bull, West Bend Mutual Insurance Local broadcasters: Bally Sports Wisconsin (TV), WTMJ (radio) Total social media following: 9.2 million
From live games to behind-the-scenes, if it’s happening, it’s happening in the new NBA app. Get the new app 📲 https://t.co/p85YXMe8fB pic.twitter.com/B36GDu5j7o
Value: US$1.68 billion Owner: Tony Ressler Chief executive: Steve Koonin Home venue: State Farm Arena (16,600) Arena naming rights deal: State Farm (US$8.75 million a year, deal signed 2018, expires 2038) Jersey patch sponsor: Sharecare (‘mid-range’ of US$2.5 million and US$10 million a year, signed 2017, extension signed 2022, duration not reported) Other partners: Emory Healthcare, Michelob Ultra, Coca-Cola, Delta Air Lines, Kia, Novelis, UPS, Papa Johns Local broadcasters: Bally Sports Southeast (TV), WZGC (radio) Total social media following: 5.4 million
Value: US$1.575 billion Owner: Michael Jordan President: Fred Whitfield Home venue: Spectrum Center (19,077) Arena naming rights deal: Spectrum (US$5 million a year, signed 2008, duration not reported) Jersey patch sponsor: LendingTree (US$5 million a year, extension signed 2020, expires 2023) Other partners: Bank of America, Barings, BlueCross BlueShield of North Carolina, Charter Communications, Coca-Cola, DraftKings, Grant Thornton International, Lowe’s, Nike, Novant Health Local broadcasters: Bally Sports Southeast (TV), WFNZ (radio) Total social media following: 5 million
Value: US$2.3 billion Owner: Micky Arison Chief executive: Nick Arison Home venue: FTX Arena (19,600) Arena naming rights deal: FTX (US$135 million, signed 2021, expires 2040) Jersey patch sponsor: Ultimate Kronos Group (value not reported, signed 2017, duration not reported) Other partners: American Express, AMR, Bacardi, Baptist Health, Carnival Corporation, FedEx, Kia, Lexus, PepsiCo, Tissot Local broadcasters: Bally Sports Sun (TV), WAXY (radio) Total social media following: 25.5 million
Value: US$1.64 billion Owner: DeVos family Chief executive: Alex Martins Home venue: Amway Center (18,846) Arena naming rights deal: Amway (US$4 million a year, signed 2010, expired 2020, team appointed Legends to find new partner) Jersey patch sponsor: Walt Disney World Resort (value not reported, first signed 2017, extended 2020, duration not reported) Other partners: Advent Health, AB InBev, Florida Blue, Geico, Insurance Office of America, Kia, L3Harris Technologies, PepsiCo, RP Funding, Verizon Local broadcasters: Bally Sports Florida (TV), WYGM (radio) Total social media following: 5.8 million
Value: US$1.925 billion Owner: Monumental Sports & Entertainment Managing partner: Ted Leonsis Home venue: Capital One Arena (20,356) Arena naming rights deal: Capital One (US$10 million a year, signed 2018, expires 2028) Jersey patch sponsor: N/A Other partners: Alibaba, AB InBev, Etihad Airways, Geico, Giant Food, Leidos, Lexus, MedStar Health, NEC, PepsiCo, Verizon Local broadcasters: NBC Sports Washington (TV), WFED (radio) Total social media following: 7.4 million
Value: US$1.725 billion Owner: Stan Kroenke Vice chairman: Josh Kroenke Home venue: Ball Arena (19,520) Arena naming rights deal: Ball Corporation (US$6 million a year, signed 2020, duration not reported) Jersey patch sponsor: Western Union (value not reported, extension signed 2020, expires 2023) Other partners: Avaya Inc, Lexus, MillerCoors, PepsiCo, Socios.com, Southwest Airlines, Toyota Local broadcasters: Altitude Sports (TV), KKSE (radio) Total social media following: 5.2 million
Value: US$1.55 billion Owners: Glen Taylor, Marc Lore and Alex Rodriguez Chief executive: Ethan Casson Home venue: Target Center (18,798) Arena naming rights deal: Target (original contract worth US$1.5 million a year, extended 2015, duration not reported) Jersey patch sponsor: Aura (value not reported, signed 2021, duration not reported) Other partners: AB InBev, Beats Electronics, Federated Insurance, Fitbit, Gatorade, Lexus, Mayo Clinic, Nike, State Farm, Treasure Island Resort & Casino, US Bancorp Local broadcasters: Bally Sports North (TV), WCCO (radio) Total social media following: 5.7 million
Rudy Gobert is now a Minnesota Timberwolves player following his offseason move from the Utah Jazz
Value: US$1.63 billion Owner: Professional Basketball Club LLC Chairman: Clayton Bennett Home venue: Paycom Center (18,203) Arena naming rights deal: Paycom (value not reported, signed 2021, expires 2036) Jersey patch sponsor: Love’s Travel Stops & Country Stores (‘just under’ US$10 million a year, signed 2019, expires 2023) Other partners: AB InBev, Chesapeake Energy, Coca-Cola, Devon Energy, Enable Midstream Partners, MidFirst Bank, Riverwind Casino, Socios.com Verizon Local broadcasters: Bally Sports Oklahoma (TV), WWLS (radio) Total social media following: 14.7 million
Value: US$2.05 billion Owner: Paul G Allen Trust President: Dewayne Hankins Home venue: Moda Center (19,393) Arena naming rights deal: Moda Health (US$4 million a year, signed 2013, expires 2023) Jersey patch sponsor: N/A Other partners: Adidas, BioFreeze, Daimler, First Tech Federal Credit Union, Ford, Fred Meyer, Nike, Toyota, Umpqua Bank Local broadcasters: Root Sports Northwest (TV), KPOJ (radio) Total social media following: 6.6 million
Value: US$1.75 billion Owner: Ryan Smith President: Jim Olson Home venue: Vivint Arena (18,306) Arena naming rights deal: Vivint (value not reported, signed 2016, expires 2026) Jersey patch sponsor: Qualtrics (US$4 million a year, first signed 2017, expires 2023) Other partners: America First Credit Union, Coca-Cola, Ford, Larry H Miller Dealerships, Nu Skin Enterprises, Toyota, Health University of Utah, WCF Insurance, Zions Bank Local broadcasters: AT&T SportsNet Rocky Mountain (TV), KZNS (radio) Total social media following: 5.4 million
Value: US$5.6 billion Owners: Joe Lacob (majority) and Peter Guber President and chief operating officer: Brandon Schneider Home venue: Chase Center (18,064) Arena naming rights deal: JPMorgan Chase (US$15 million a year, signed 2019, expires 2039) Jersey patch sponsor: Rakuten (US$20 million a year, signed 2017, extended 2020, duration not reported) Other partners: Accenture, Adobe, Google, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Kaiser Permanente, Oracle, PepsiCo, RingCentral, Ticketmaster, United Airlines, Verizon Local broadcasters: NBC Sports Bay Area (TV), KGMZ (radio) Total social media following: 47.2 million
Value: US$3.3 billion Owner: Steve Ballmer President: Gillian Zucker Home venue: Crypto.com Arena (19,079) Arena naming rights deal: Crypto.com (US$35 million a year, signed 2021, expires 2041) Jersey patch sponsor: Honey (value not reported, signed 2020, duration not reported) Other partners: Agua Caliente Casinos, AB InBev, CarMax, City National Bank, Gatorade, JBL, Kia, Lexus, Verizon Local broadcasters: Bally Sports SoCal (TV), KLAC (radio) Total social media following: 10.2 million
Value: US$5.5 billion Owner: Buss Family Trusts President, business operations: Tim Harris Home venue: Crypto.com Arena (19,079) Arena naming rights deal: Crypto.com (US$35 million a year, signed 2021, expires 2041) Jersey patch sponsor: Bibigo (US$20 million a year, signed 2021, reportedly expires 2026) Other partners: Adidas, American Express, Beyond Meat, BioSteel, Budweiser, Jacob Emrani, Cincoro, Comerica Bank, Delta Air Lines, DWS, East West Bank, Fifth Third Bank, GOAT Fuel, Hennessy, Hulu, Jack in the Box, Lexus, MGM Resorts, Moet, New Amsterdam Vodka, Nike, Pechanga Resort Casino, Pepsi, Socios.com, Ticket Exchange, Toyota, UCLA Health, Verizon, Wingstop, Xbox Local broadcasters: Spectrum Sportsnet (TV), KSPN (English-language radio), KWKW (Spanish-language radio) Total social media following: 53.5 million
Value: US$1.8 billion Owner: Robert Sarver President and chief executive: Jason Rowley Home venue: Footprint Center (17,071) Arena naming rights deal: Footprint (US$9 million a year, signed 2021, duration not reported) Jersey patch sponsor: PayPal (value not reported, signed 2018, duration not reported) Other partners: Coca-Cola, Farmers Insurance, Fry’s Food Stores, Gatorade, Kia, McDonald’s, MidFirst Bank, Socios.com, Southwest Airlines, UPS, Verizon Local broadcasters: Bally Sports Arizona (TV), KMVP (radio) Total social media following: 6.3 million
Phoenix Suns owner Robert Sarver has put the franchise up for sale
Value: US$2 billion Owner: Vivek Ranadive Chief operating officer: Matina Kolokotronis Home venue: Golden 1 Center (17,608) Arena naming rights deal: Golden 1 Credit Union (US$6 million a year, signed 2015, expires 2035) Jersey patch sponsor: Dialpad (value not reported, signed 2021, duration not reported) Other partners: Acronis, AB InBev, Apple Pay, Chipman, Cintron, Coca-Cola, Coors Light, Corona, Crown Royal, Doco, Great Clips, Honda, Lagunitas, Tires Les Schwab, Lexus, Marquee Media, MattressFirm, Metabilia, Milagro Tequila, Phoong Law, PM Quick Quack Car Wash, Ray Morgan Company, Remax, Republic Services, Smud, Socios.com, StateFarm, Taco Bell, Tahoe Vodka, Tissot, Toyota, Verizon, VSP Vision Care, Xfinity, Workday Local broadcasters: NBC Sports California (TV), KHTK (radio) Total social media following: 10.5 million
Value: US$2.7 billion Owner: Mark Cuban Chief executive: Cynthia Marshall Home venue: American Airlines Center (19,200) Arena naming rights deal: American Airlines (US$6.5 million a year, signed 1999, expires 2030) Jersey patch sponsor: Chime (worth ‘just under eight figures’, signed 2020, expires 2023) Other partners: AMR, AB InBev, AT&T, Citigroup, Coca-Cola, Constellation Brands, Ford, Keurig Dr Pepper, Lexus, Pizza Hut, TXU Energy, Walmart Local broadcasters: Bally Sports Southwest (TV), KEGL (radio) Total social media following: 9.5 million
Value: US$2.75 billion Owner: Tilman Fertitta President, business operations: Gretchen Sheirr Home venue: Toyota Center (18,055) Arena naming rights deal: Toyota (US$4.75 million a year, signed 2003, expires 2023) Jersey patch sponsor: Credit Karma Money (value not reported, signed 2021, duration not reported) Other major partners: Adidas, AT&T, BBVA, Budweiser, Frost Bank, Kroger, Memorial Hermann, NRG Energy, PepsiCo, Southwest Airlines Local broadcasters: AT&T SportsNet Southwest (TV), KBME (radio) Total social media following: 24.9 million
Value: US$1.5 billion Owner: Robert Pera President: Jason Wexler Home venue: FedExForum (17,794) Arena naming rights deal: FedEx (US$4.5 million a year, 20-year deal signed 2002, expires 2024) Jersey patch sponsor: N/A Other partners: AutoZone, Chick-fil-A, FanDuel, Ford, International Paper, PepsiCo, Pinnacle Bank, Ticketmaster, Valvoline, Verizon Local broadcasters: Bally Sports Southeast (TV), WMFS (radio) Total social media following: 4.9 million
The Memphis Grizzlies are one of only a handful of NBA teams without a jersey patch sponsor
Value: US$1.525 billion Owner: Gayle Benson President: Dennis Lauscha Home venue: Smoothie King Center (16,867) Arena naming rights deal: Smoothie King (US$4 million a year, signed 2014, expires 2024) Jersey patch sponsor: Ibotta (value not reported, signed 2020, duration not reported) Other major partners: Harrahs New Orleans, Chevron, Cox Communications, Ochsner Health, Entergy, SeatGeek, AmeriHealth, BlueCross BlueShield, Crystal Clear Imaging, Ford, Hennessy, Krispy Krunchy Chicken, Moet, Morris Bart, Red Bull, Sobe Promos, Sprite, State Farm, Tissot Local broadcasters: Bally Sports New Orleans (TV), KLRZ (radio) Total social media following: 5.7 million
Value: US$1.98 billion Owner: Spurs Sports & Entertainment Chief executive: R C Buford Home venue: AT&T Center (18,418) Arena naming rights deal: AT&T (US$2 million a year, extension signed 2022, expires 2023) Jersey patch sponsor: Self Financial (value not reported, signed 2022, duration not reported) Other major partners: AB InBev, Coca-Cola, Credit Human, Frost Bank, HEB Grocery Stores, Methodist Healthcare, SWBC, USAA, Valero Energy Local broadcasters: Bally Sports Southwest (TV), WOAI (radio) Total social media following: 14.5 million
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