The NBA continues to grow and expand its sponsorship inventory with new title rights agreements and jersey patch deals, but more sparingly and with a greater emphasis on long-term value.
NBA teams made a record $1.8bn in sponsorship revenue for the first time in league history as franchises placed more emphasis on single-value deals over volume.
According to new data from Sponsor United, total team sponsorship revenue grew 11% from the previous 2024/25 season’s $1.62bn generated, as well as an increase on the $1.48bn made in the 2023/24 season.
The Sponsor United report emphasised teams are prioritising long-term, valuable sponsorship deals over multiple short-term deals as teams are aiming to create true partnerships that both benefit the franchise and its fans.
Financial companies continue to be the number one spender of NBA sponsorships, spending $318m across the past season. Some of the most valuable financial sponsorships include Intuit’s deal with the Los Angeles Clippers, Barclay’s sponsorship deal with the Brooklyn Nets, and Scotiabank‘s deal with the Toronto Raptors.
Financial brands hold 10 of 29 patches (34%), up from 8 of 27 last season. Two new financial brands entered the premium slot this year: Paze for the Atlanta Hawks and Ledger for the San Antonio Spurs, both first-time NBA partners.
Technology companies were the second-highest spenders of NBA sponsorship, spending $173m in total. The league’s most valuable sponsorship deal involves technology company Rakuten spending the most on its deal with the Golden State Warriors.
The second highest sponsorship spenders is AB InBev, third highest is JP Morgan Chase, fourth highest is Hyundai, and the fifth highest spenders is Toyota.
Of the highest-spending industries on NBA sponsorship this season, automobiles came in third, healthcare fourth, and beverages and alcohol fifth.
Quality, not quantity
As Sponsor United highlighted in its report, NBA franchises have valued long-term, valuable sponsorships over multiple short-term less valuable deals.
Of the top 10 NBA teams with the highest number of total sponsorship deals, only the Toronto Raptors ranked in the top 10 for the single-highest sponsorship agreement with its deal with Scotiabank.
The Cleveland Cavaliers ranked number one with the most sponsorship deals with 103, followed by the Washington Wizards (97), Indiana Pacers (95), Raptors (93), and the Phoenix Suns (89) making up the top five.
NBA finalists, the New York Knicks, secured the most new sponsorship deals, increasing its inventory by 28% from last season. This bested the Cavaliers (17% growth), Suns (16%), Lakers (15%), and the Knicks’ NBA finals opponents, the San Antonio Spurs (14%).
The report highlighted the commercial value of the Spurs’ star player Victor Wembanyama, who has helped the franchise reach its first NBA finals since 2014 and is one of the youngest teams to ever reach the finals.
Player sponsorships
Perhaps the most surprising finding from the report was the NBA player who had signed the most sponsorship endorsement deals, and the gap from first to second is significant.
Only in his second NBA season, Jared McCain signed the most endorsements with 35, 16 more than second place Karl-Anthony Towns with 19.
Third, fourth and fifth players with the most sponsorship deals throughout the past season include superstars Stephen Curry, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and LeBron James, respectively.
The 22-year-old McCain, who was traded from the Philadelphia 76ers to the reigning NBA champions, the Oklahoma City Thunder, exemplifies sponsors’ approach to who they want endorsing their products and services.
The Sponsor United report found that six of the top 25 most-endorsed NBA athletes are first-year players, as brands are signing athletes during the draft before they ever play an NBA game.
