Nba - a Case Study
National Basketball Association: A Case Study
The Marketing Plan
1.0 Executive Summary
The National Basketball Association (NBA) is one of the four major professional sports leagues in the United States, with 30 teams representing 28 US markets and one in Canada [1]. Additionally, the NBA also oversees properties such as the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA, comprised of 14 teams); NBA Development League (NBADL, comprised of 16 teams); NBA
Entertainment (online websites and interactive media); and NBA TV (cable TV channel offering news, original programming, and live game broadcasts).
Although the game of basketball was founded by Dr. James Naismith accidentally in 1891 in
Springfield, Massachusetts, it has garnered global attention with the evolution of the NBA and its talented athletes. Basketball is now played in more than 70 countries worldwide [3], the best 12 of whom are competing in the Olympic Games in Beijing, China [2]. As of 16 April 2008, the NBA featured 76 international players from 31 countries and territories in its team rosters [4]. The globalization of the game of basketball augurs well not only for the general acceptance of the sport, but also for the extraordinary growth opportunity for the NBA.
Currently, the NBA operates primarily in the US. However, with increasing awareness of the league, its teams, and players in global markets such as China and Europe, the NBA is taking notice. It formed NBA China, a new entity to conduct all of its businesses in Greater China with
Tim Chen as its CEO [5]. David Stern — NBA commissioner — also entertained the idea of NBA
Europe, an entity that would be similar to NBA China, at his "State of the Game" address during the week of the All-Star games in New Orleans [6].
In addition to recognizing and responding to the global interest in basketball, the NBA also promotes its teams and players around the world in an effort to market the league's domestic activities. Despite losing a global icon in
The Marketing Plan
1.0 Executive Summary
The National Basketball Association (NBA) is one of the four major professional sports leagues in the United States, with 30 teams representing 28 US markets and one in Canada [1]. Additionally, the NBA also oversees properties such as the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA, comprised of 14 teams); NBA Development League (NBADL, comprised of 16 teams); NBA
Entertainment (online websites and interactive media); and NBA TV (cable TV channel offering news, original programming, and live game broadcasts).
Although the game of basketball was founded by Dr. James Naismith accidentally in 1891 in
Springfield, Massachusetts, it has garnered global attention with the evolution of the NBA and its talented athletes. Basketball is now played in more than 70 countries worldwide [3], the best 12 of whom are competing in the Olympic Games in Beijing, China [2]. As of 16 April 2008, the NBA featured 76 international players from 31 countries and territories in its team rosters [4]. The globalization of the game of basketball augurs well not only for the general acceptance of the sport, but also for the extraordinary growth opportunity for the NBA.
Currently, the NBA operates primarily in the US. However, with increasing awareness of the league, its teams, and players in global markets such as China and Europe, the NBA is taking notice. It formed NBA China, a new entity to conduct all of its businesses in Greater China with
Tim Chen as its CEO [5]. David Stern — NBA commissioner — also entertained the idea of NBA
Europe, an entity that would be similar to NBA China, at his "State of the Game" address during the week of the All-Star games in New Orleans [6].
In addition to recognizing and responding to the global interest in basketball, the NBA also promotes its teams and players around the world in an effort to market the league's domestic activities. Despite losing a global icon in
References: 1. Hoover 's Company Records, Accessed on July 27, 2008. 2. Basketball - The official website of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games, Accessed on August 04, 2008. 3. FIBA.com - FIBA World Ranking for men, Accessed on August 04, 2008. 4. NBA Players From Around The World: 2007-08 Season (Posted Jun 11 2008 4:52PM), Accessed on July 28, 2008. 5. NBA Names Tim Chen CEO of NBA China (Posted Sep 19 2007 7:01AM), Accessed on August 04, 2008. 6. Stern: NBA Europe a work in progress (Feb 17, 12:43 am EST), Accessed on August 04, 2008. 7. LeBron inc. - the building of a billion-dollar athlete, Fortune, November 28, 2007. Accessed on July 27, 2008. 8. NBA.com: HR, Accessed on August 04, 2008. July 27, 2008. Accessed on August 04, 2008. 13. League Launches "NBA CARES" Global Outreach Initiative, Posted Oct 18, 2005 at http://www.nba.com/community/NBACARES_051018.html, Accessed on July 27, 2008. Accessed on Aug 05, 2008. Advertising Age, February 7, 1994, By Jeff Jensen. 19. NBA.com Videos: http://www.nba.com/video. Accessed on July 27, 2008. 20. NBA Careers: Mission and Value Statement, Accessed on July 27, 2008.