Emirates airline announces sponsorship deal with NBA

Emirates airline has forged a multi-year sponsorship deal with America’s NBA basketball league, it said on Thursday, as the carrier seeks to raise its profile in the United States. The airline, part of Dubai’s state-owned Emirates Group, has long been a sponsor of high-profile sports including some of the world’s most famous soccer clubs, with Real Madrid, Arsenal and AC Milan featuring the airline’s logo as the main sponsor on their kits. “Our eyes have always been on the NBA,” said Emirates executive Boutros Boutros, during an event at the airline’s headquarters. The event was attended by NBA Hall of Famer Isiah Thomas, who won two NBA championships as a point guard with the Detroit Pistons in 1989 and 1990. The NBA’s deputy commissioner and COO Mark Tatum said that the NBA in-season tournament will be renamed the Emirates NBA Cup from next season and referees’ kits will feature the airline’s logo starting from this year’s All-Star Game. Neither executive disclosed the value of the deal, but Boutros said that the deal would generate $500m a year in advertising revenue according to the company’s estimates. Middle East sovereign wealth funds have also invested hugely in sports in recent years.<br/>