The sports world is shifting focus from the Big Easy to the Bay.
A week after the Philadelphia Eagles took down the Kansas City Chiefs in the Super Bowl, the 74th NBA All-Star Game will tip off in San Francisco, and many of the usual basketball brand suspects will be courtside. For some of them, the event is even more important than the Super Bowl; last year, brand marketers used terms like “key moment,” “crown jewel,” and “tentpole” to describe All-Star Weekend. One called it “the Super Bowl of the NBA.”
For those who are burnt out from the Super Bowl or otherwise suffering from All-Star-related FOMO, here’s a look at how some of the major sponsors are activating around Chase Center this year.
Name on it: All-Star Weekend events like the 3-point and dunk contests are spoken for when it comes to naming rights and presenting sponsorships.
- The oil company Castrol sponsors the Rising Stars practice and game, which features some of the best young players in the NBA, as well as a team of G League players.
- There’s the Ruffles NBA All-Star Celebrity Game, named after the chip brand. This year’s player roster includes influencers like Kai Cenat and Druski and musicians like Noah Kahan and Shaboozey.
- AT&T, a sponsor of the NBA and the WNBA, is the presenting partner of the HBCU Classic, this year featuring Morehouse College and Tuskegee University.
- State Farm All-Star Saturday Night encompasses the Kia Skills Challenge, the Starry 3-Point Contest, and the AT&T Slam Dunk.
Some of the brands with their names in lights will also have boots on the ground. AT&T, for instance, will have a presence at NBA Crossover, the league’s All-Star fan experience, including an LED court with photo opportunities and meet-and-greets with current and former NBA players. AT&T is also teaming up with nonprofit Human I-T and New York Liberty star Sabrina Ionescu, who grew up in the Bay Area, and her SI20 Foundation to donate laptops to the East Oakland Youth Development Center and the Boys & Girls Club of Oakland.
League legends: In addition to the presenting partners of the individual events, All-Star attendees might recognize some other NBA partners over the course of the weekend.
American Express, the official card of the NBA, will help kick off the festivities on Thursday with the NBA on TNT American Express Road Show, a fan experience that includes a performance from Chance the Rapper. From Friday through Sunday, the brand is hosting the Amex Experience, which will give fans behind-the-scenes access to TNT’s Inside the NBA.
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Google Pixel, the NBA’s official fan phone, will put Gemini Live on display at the Google Pixel House with programming like an open court, photo ops, a dunk showcase, and the Aces Battle of the Platforms, a tournament of teams made up of basketball creators. Google will also be at the Crossover with its Pixel Pro Shot Challenge for fans.
Foot the bill: What’s basketball without shoes? There won’t be a shortage of kicks at All-Star Weekend, partially due to NBA partner Foot Locker. Building on its strategy from last year, the retailer is partnering with several shoe brands and athletes at a two-story space in Union Square that will house product drops and an LED court with daily challenges over the weekend.
Nike, Jordan Brand, Adidas, Puma, Converse, and New Era Cap will be in the house and are expected to bring with them NBA athlete partners like Anthony Edwards, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jayson Tatum, Trae Young, and LaMelo Ball.
1800 Tequila is also showing up with a shoe…sort of. The liquor brand teamed up with floral artist Mr. Flower Fantastic to create a limited-edition crystal decanter inspired by basketball sneakers. It will be on display at All-Star Weekend and available for pre-sale online starting Thursday, and comes with a bottle of 1800 Cristalino.
Home-court advantage: Not to be outshined by the sponsors, the Golden State Warriors are also contributing to the All-Star festivities. The Warriors, who have their own record label called Golden State Entertainment, dropped an “All-Star themed album” on Wednesday called For the Soil that features Bay Area legends including Too $hort and E-40.
The WNBA and its Bay Area team, the Valkyries, which are set to play their first season this year, are joining the brands at Crossover with their own fan experience: a “WNBA Housewarming,” a San Francisco-style house that fans can walk through, complete with league Easter eggs. Some of the Valkyries themselves will be at All-Star Weekend, including forward Kayla Thornton, who will play in the celebrity game and stop by the WNBA House.
Update 2/12/25: This story has been updated with information about the availability of the decanter.