NBA in 10-Year Deal with Reebok, Beginning in 2004
NEW YORK, Aug. 1 -- The National Basketball Association and Reebok International Ltd. (NYSE:RBK) have formed a 10-year strategic partnership beginning in 2001, under which Reebok will design, manufacture, sell and market licensed merchandise for the NBA, the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) and the National Basketball Development League (NBDL), the NBA's new minor league.
NBA Commissioner David Stern and Reebok International Ltd. Chairman and CEO Paul Fireman will announce the long-term partnership Wednesday at an 11 a.m. ET news conference at the NBA Store on Fifth Avenue in New York City. The news conference will be broadcast live on NBA.com TV, the NBA's 24-hour digital television network.
Beginning in the 2004-05 season, Reebok will have the exclusive rights to supply and market all on-court apparel, including uniforms, shooting shirts, warm-ups, authentic and replica jerseys and practice gear for all NBA, WNBA and NBDL teams. Reebok will also have the exclusive rights, with limited exceptions, to design, manufacture, market and sell headwear, T-shirts, fleece and other apparel products for all teams in most channels of distributions.
Reebok will also develop, market and sell an exclusive line of NBA-branded basketball shoes and expand their line of Reebok Classic fashion products to incorporate NBA-branded apparel.
Prior to league exclusivity in 2004, there is a transition period in the 2001-02 season during which Reebok will be on court with 11 NBA teams and all WNBA and NBDL teams. This agreement expands to include 19 NBA teams in the 2002-03 season. Also in the 2002-03 season, Reebok will have the exclusive rights to design, manufacture, market and sell replica jerseys for all NBA, WNBA and NBDL teams.
Reebok will utilize many of the NBA's, WNBA's and NBDL's extensive marketing platforms to market NBA products, Reebok footwear and the Reebok brand.
'Reebok is a proven leader in bringing to market innovative and stylish product,' Stern said. 'Our partnership with Reebok represents a new paradigm in the structure of our global merchandising business and demonstrates the increasingly integrated nature of the NBA's businesses. We're pleased to establish this alliance with Reebok and Paul Fireman, through which we will considerably enhance the design, development, and marketing of our merchandise, and deliver a broad array of high-quality products to basketball fans.'
'I am very excited to have this opportunity to partner with the NBA,' Fireman said. 'The NBA has a significant and loyal fan base and the pervasiveness of basketball in our culture has made it one of the most popular and exciting participatory and spectator sports in our society. Our partnership with the NBA is strategically aligned with our previously announced objective to build a world class global sports licensing business and will further drive our growing basketball business, which is being energized by Allen Iverson. In addition, our affiliation with the WNBA will provide an exciting platform from which we can leverage our heritage and strength in the women's sports and fitness market.'
Reebok noted that the new agreement with the NBA will not have any impact on its previous sales and earnings guidance for 2001.
For more details contact:
Laura Traynham, NBA - +1 212 407 8095 or ltraynham@nba.com
NBA Commissioner David Stern and Reebok International Ltd. Chairman and CEO Paul Fireman will announce the long-term partnership Wednesday at an 11 a.m. ET news conference at the NBA Store on Fifth Avenue in New York City. The news conference will be broadcast live on NBA.com TV, the NBA's 24-hour digital television network.
Beginning in the 2004-05 season, Reebok will have the exclusive rights to supply and market all on-court apparel, including uniforms, shooting shirts, warm-ups, authentic and replica jerseys and practice gear for all NBA, WNBA and NBDL teams. Reebok will also have the exclusive rights, with limited exceptions, to design, manufacture, market and sell headwear, T-shirts, fleece and other apparel products for all teams in most channels of distributions.
Reebok will also develop, market and sell an exclusive line of NBA-branded basketball shoes and expand their line of Reebok Classic fashion products to incorporate NBA-branded apparel.
Prior to league exclusivity in 2004, there is a transition period in the 2001-02 season during which Reebok will be on court with 11 NBA teams and all WNBA and NBDL teams. This agreement expands to include 19 NBA teams in the 2002-03 season. Also in the 2002-03 season, Reebok will have the exclusive rights to design, manufacture, market and sell replica jerseys for all NBA, WNBA and NBDL teams.
Reebok will utilize many of the NBA's, WNBA's and NBDL's extensive marketing platforms to market NBA products, Reebok footwear and the Reebok brand.
'Reebok is a proven leader in bringing to market innovative and stylish product,' Stern said. 'Our partnership with Reebok represents a new paradigm in the structure of our global merchandising business and demonstrates the increasingly integrated nature of the NBA's businesses. We're pleased to establish this alliance with Reebok and Paul Fireman, through which we will considerably enhance the design, development, and marketing of our merchandise, and deliver a broad array of high-quality products to basketball fans.'
'I am very excited to have this opportunity to partner with the NBA,' Fireman said. 'The NBA has a significant and loyal fan base and the pervasiveness of basketball in our culture has made it one of the most popular and exciting participatory and spectator sports in our society. Our partnership with the NBA is strategically aligned with our previously announced objective to build a world class global sports licensing business and will further drive our growing basketball business, which is being energized by Allen Iverson. In addition, our affiliation with the WNBA will provide an exciting platform from which we can leverage our heritage and strength in the women's sports and fitness market.'
Reebok noted that the new agreement with the NBA will not have any impact on its previous sales and earnings guidance for 2001.
For more details contact:
Laura Traynham, NBA - +1 212 407 8095 or ltraynham@nba.com