BBVA to be official bank of NBA, WNBA and D-League

WNBA fans were the first to see BBVA branding on basketball jerseys in the U.S. when the Seattle Storm defeated the Atlanta Dream in game one of the WNBA Finals on Sunday. The bank’s logo was on the front of Atlanta and Seattle uniforms.

The BBVA Group and the NBA have agreed to a four-year sponsorship deal worth over $100 million. The agreement includes the Spanish multinational company becoming the official bank of the NBA, the WNBA and the NBA’s D-League.

BBVA’s logo will be prominently featured on both teams’ jerseys for the entire series, marking the first time a single marketing partner will receive exposure on the jerseys of both teams competing in the WNBA Finals, other than the league’s official outfitter.

“BBVA is a leading global brand with a successful history of reaching fans and consumers around the world through sports,” said Mark Tatum, NBA Executive Vice President of Global Marketing Partnerships.  “Basketball is a global game and this new partnership illustrates how the transcending popularity of the NBA, the WNBA and the NBA D-League provide our partners with unique opportunities to engage our fans and celebrate the game in a variety of cultures.”

BBVA sponsors Spain’s premier soccer league, La Liga. The top women’s basketball league in Spain is Liga Femenina. It does not have a marketing deal with BBVA.

“This agreement solidifies BBVA’s position as the “Bank of Sports” and opens up a new and ambitious pathway to growth in Spain, as well as in the US, through the BBVA Compass brand”, stated Gregorio Panadero, BBVA Global Chief Communications Officer.  “Furthermore, both BBVA and the NBA align on many strategic points, for which the visibility of both brands in Europe and America is fundamental.”

The BBVA sponsorship adds another corporate logo to Seattle uniforms. The team’s main sponsor is Bing, the search engine owned by software company Microsoft.

The U.S. subsidiary of the bank is BBVA Compass. The company expanded its presence through a series of acquisitions, including Valley Bank (2004), Laredo National Bank (2005), Texas State Bank (2006), State National Bank (2007), Compass Bank (2007), and Guaranty Bank (2009).  All of the acquisitions have been integrated into BBVA Compass.

• BBVA signs multiyear marketing partnership with the NBA (BBVA)
• N.B.A. Makes Sponsorship Deal With Spanish Bank (New York Times)
• Grupo BBVA