FIBA, basketball’s international governing body, has extended its global partnerships with Japanese ball manufacturer Molten and Philippine mobile services provider Smart Communications.
The renewals were announced in Manila, Philippines, ahead of the final of this year’s men’s World Cup which concluded yesterday (September 10).
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Molten’s long-standing partnership with FIBA will continue through the next two World Cup cycles, while Smart’s extension will run until the end of the 2027 edition.
The deals were brokered by FIBA Marketing, the strategic partnership between FIBA and the Infront agency.
Molten is FIBA’s longest-serving global partner having teamed up with the federation in 1982, and the two parties marked a 40-year anniversary of the tie-up last year.
The extension will see the relationship head into a fifth decade and encompass the 2027 World Cup in Qatar and the 2031 edition.
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By GlobalDataThe deals with Molten and Smart will also cover the 2026 Women’s Basketball World Cup.
Andreas Zagklis, FIBA secretary general, said: "To have this extension of a partnership that has already passed the landmark of 40 years is unique.
"It highlights the strong bond and shared vision of FIBA and Molten, who have been our global partners for longer than anyone else. Molten has played a prominent role in supporting FIBA to grow the sport of basketball globally with its desire to continue innovating and evolving.”
Smart, meanwhile, initially partnered with FIBA in 2020 and was granted exclusivity in the category of telecommunications worldwide.
Despite having key commercial rights across all FIBA competitions, Smart’s activations focused heavily on this year’s World Cup which was being co-hosted in its home market.
The renewed agreement will now go “much wider” with the brand securing further enhancements, including additional exclusive rights in the areas of digital and live streaming.
Smart will also be the presenting partner of 'Chat Parties' hosted on respective FIBA competition websites, the FIBA official mobile digital and media application for the competition, or another official FIBA digital media channel.
In addition, the telecoms firm will receive graphic integration on the live stream of official draws of FIBA competitions as well as youth competitions, as well as being the presenting partner of the FIBA 'Power Rankings'.
On the Smart extension, Zagklis said: "FIBA had high expectations for our global partnership with Smart, and we are delighted that it has surpassed them. We have achieved such impressive results together and it has been a strong driver behind the success of the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023.”
The renewals with Molten and Smart quickly follow FIBA’s renewal with Chinese mineral water brand Ganten which will continue as a global partner until 2027.
The governing body’s other global partners are Nike, TCL, Tencent, Tissot, Wanda, J9, Smart Communications, and Yili, which came on board in April.
Germany defeated Serbia 83-77 yesterday to win the FIBA World Cup for the first time.
