Mitsubishi Motors Australia has today been announced as the naming rights sponsor of the National Basketball League’s (NBL) NBL1, reaffirming its commitment to Australian sport in one of the fastest-growing games in the country.
Following its decade-long sponsorship of the NBL in the 1990s, Mitsubishi Motors Australia marked a return to the sport earlier this year when it became the official vehicle partner and major sponsor of NBL.
The partnership between Mitsubishi Motors Australia and the NBL has since flourished, and the car manufacturer will now carry the naming rights into the NBL1 competition from March 2024, consisting of NBL1 North, East, South, West, and Central.
“Having Mitsubishi Motors Australia make an even bigger commitment to our competition and the sport of basketball is a massive vote of confidence in the League,” said David Stevenson, chief executive officer for NBL.
“Last season, NBL1 reached more than 66 million people via our digital and social platforms, with more than 41 million minutes watched. This showcases the ever-growing platform NBL1 has become”.
The NBL1 and NBL partnerships will offer Mitsubishi Motors Australia tremendous brand exposure with court signage around the country, in-game broadcasting, game day activations and consumer engagement on and off the court.
To capitalise on the thrill of witnessing a 3-Pointer, Mitsubishi Motors promotional teams will be on the ground at selected NBL home games, giving out red foam hands to help fans celebrate throughout the game. QR codes on the foam hands will allow fans to enter their details for a chance to win weekly prizes and be in the running for the NBL end-of-season draw prize – a Mitsubishi Pajero Sport GSR.
Digital screens will showcase content on ‘How to shoot a 3-pointer’ and a bespoke Pajero Sport TVC will air in the arena before every game.
“Mitsubishi Motors Australia is thrilled to be the naming rights partner of the NBL1. Together with our Major Partnership of the NBL, this announcement signals our commitment to basketball at both community and professional levels in Australia,” said Shaun Westcott, Chief Executive Officer, Mitsubishi Motors Australia.
“This is a national partnership, with NBL1 teams in every state and territory. We hope to connect the 74 NBL1 clubs with our 200+ national Dealer Network to further support and promote basketball in this country. We at Mitsubishi Motors Australia, are excited to play a part in the continual growth of the game, encouraging players to play adventurously”.
The Mitsubishi Motors NBL1 is the semi-professional basketball league in Australia, boasting 74 clubs and 145 teams. For many players, the competition is a steppingstone to playing in the NBL, as well as the NBA, with many NBL players also returning to their local NBL1 clubs to play in the NBL offseason. The 2024 Mitsubishi Motors NBL1 season will commence on 24 March 2024 in Adelaide and will run through the NBL offseason, between March and September. There are more than 1500 games planned throughout the season, to be played across the country.
Basketball in Australia has more than 1.1 million registered players, and is a top ten sport in the country, according to the Australian Sports Commission.
