Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ: MAR) and the National Basketball Association (NBA) announced a partnership extension that will make the global hotel company a partner of several league events, including NBA House Rio, NBA All-Star, and select NBA Global Games. In addition, Marriott International will become an official partner of USA Basketball.
The partnership will showcase Marriott Rewards, Marriott International, Inc.’s award-winning loyalty program, by bringing the excitement of the NBA directly to its global member community as part of its new Experiences Marketplace. Members will be able to redeem their Marriott Rewards points for exclusive NBA and USA Basketball experiences during NBA House Rio, NBA Global Games, NBA All-Star, and the 2016 USA Basketball Showcase presented by Verizon. Experiences will include NBA and USA Basketball legend and player meet-and-greets, exclusive receptions featuring basketball-themed entertainment and giveaways, and the opportunity to serve as ball boys or ball girls during upcoming games.
Marriott will also bring fans custom NBA- and USA Basketball-themed content featuring legends and current players that will be shared across the brand’s social channels.
“This partnership with the NBA is an amazing opportunity for us to provide our Marriott Rewards members and hotel guests who are passionate about basketball with enriching and exclusive experiences,” said Karin Timpone, Global Marketing Officer, Marriott International. “The NBA is widely popular around the globe and is a perfect partner to showcase our portfolio to current and future Marriott Rewards members for several years to come.”
“Marriott has done an outstanding job of engaging their millions of global Rewards members around many of our marquee league events,” said Emilio Collins, NBA Executive Vice President, Global Marketing Partnerships. “With our new expanded partnership, they’re raising the bar and extending the reach of our partnership to more programs, and even more fans, around the world.”
In addition to game-day Marketplace opportunities, Marriott Rewards will offer several NBA-themed sweepstakes and promotions, including a series of player meet-and-greets across its global portfolio of 19 brands.
Marriott Rewards members will continue to enjoy program benefits long after the final buzzer including Member Rates, Marriott’s lowest guaranteed rate when they book directly on Marriott channels, free Wi-Fi, mobile check-in and check-out, and at participating properties, mobile requests – all on the Marriott Mobile app. To learn more about Marriott Rewards, visit: www.MarriottRewards.com.
