The Premiership and the National Basketball Association (NBA) in the US are exploring a marketing and commercial tie-up that would draw on the strengths of the world’s two most popular sports leagues as they expand into new international markets. Representatives from the football and basketball associations have met in London to discuss how they might work together. They have also compared notes on their respective rights strategies – particularly in Asia, which is a huge and still largely untapped market for western sport.
The Premiership and the National Basketball Association (NBA) in the US are exploring a marketing and commercial tie-up that would draw on the strengths of the world’s two most popular sports leagues as they expand into new international markets. Representatives from the football and basketball associations have met in London to discuss how they might work together. They have also compared notes on their respective rights strategies – particularly in Asia, which is a huge and still largely untapped market for western sport. Although a Chinese consortium is reportedly seeking a stake in the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Premiership has a better hit rate when it comes to attracting international investors from Russia, the United States and the Middle East. The two sports are, however, organised very differently. In the NBA, poorly performing teams are given priority when new players are ‘drafted’ into the sport. Each franchise must keep its cost within set budgets.