Rahul NareshThis article contains information about the organisations serving as official sponsors and partners to National Basketball Association (NBA) franchise Charlotte Hornets during the 2023/24 season.
MrBeast
Feastables is James “MrBeast” Donaldson’s own line of chocolate bars and gummies that he launched in January 2022.
The Charlotte Hornets announced in October 2023 that Feastables would become their basketball jersey patch sponsor for the 2023/24 NBA season, marking the first time a social media influencer earned this role for a professional sports team.
The deal puts the Feastables logo on the playing jerseys of the Hornets on NBA matchdays.
Spectrum
Spectrum is a suite of advanced broadband services offered by Charter Communications Inc, founded in the US in 1993.
In August 2016, the Hornets announced that Spectrum would take over the naming rights for their home arena from Time Warner Cable. Since the 2016/17 NBA season, therefore, the Hornets home ground is known as “Spectrum Center”.
Dr Pepper
In January 2022, the Hornets and Coca-Cola announced an extension of their Founding Level Partnership, as per which the beverage company continues to be the team’s official and exclusive partner for soft drinks, water, bottled teas, and juices, while holding pouring rights for the concession stands at Spectrum Center.
After leveraging this agreement to market the Sprite brand for many years, Coca-Cola switched its promotional assets to market Dr Pepper ahead of the 2022/23 NBA season.
Novant Health
In December 2021, North Carolina-based healthcare company Novant Health, in accordance with its partnership with the Hornets, announced that it had become the official healthcare provider of the Hornets’ G-league team, the Greensboro Swarm.
Bank of America
Bank of America was an official sponsor of the Hornets for a long time. However, as per an extension deal the two signed in December 2021, Bank of America is currently a founding partner of the Hornets.
2K Games
2K Games’ overarching agreement with the NBA to release an instalment of its NBA 2K video game series every year also cover the Hornets, who feature in every NBA 2K title in a fully-licensed guise.
Ally
A Detroit-based digital financial services provider, Ally has been working in Charlotte for over a decade and is also an official Hornets partner.
Athletic Brewing
Athletic Brewing, an American non-alcoholic craft beer company, is the official non-alcoholic beverage of the Charlotte Hornets.
Barings
In September 2017, Barings, an asset management company, joined forces with the Charlotte Hornets on a multi-year deal.
The marketing and advertising contract began in September 2017 with a collaborative charitable initiative to support a Hornets-themed bookmobile that would visit nearby elementary schools.
As part of the second annual Barings-sponsored “Hornets TECHLAB” programme, the collaboration supported Johnson C. Smith University’s main computer lab, which is housed inside the on-campus James B. Duke Memorial Library.
Blue Cross
Hornets Sports & Entertainment (HSE) announced in January 2022 that Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina (Blue Cross NC) would serve as the presenting partner to the Hornets’ Black History Month efforts.
The partnership, which has been running since 2018, included a variety of in-person and virtual experiences throughout February 2022.
Chik-fil-A
American fast-food chain Chick-fil-A became the Exclusive Chicken Sandwich & Chicken Nuggets Partner of the Charlotte Hornets in October 2019 and has been working on multiple marketing projects with them ever since.
Crumbl Cookies
2017-founded American cookies manufacturer Crumbl Cookies is also an official partner of the Charlotte Hornets.
Currently, the brand officially presents the starting five creative posted on the team’s social media channels before each NBA match.
DraftKings
DraftKings was designated as the Hornets’ official daily fantasy sports partner in January 2021.
As per the multi-year deal, the two work together to create original social marketing content to further synchronise their combined brands. DraftKings enjoys brand visibility at Spectrum Arena via LED and courtside signage, the basket stanchion, and the backboards, while also having access to Hornets trademarks.
Food Lion
Food Lion, an American regional grocery store chain headquartered in Salisbury, North Carolina, is the Official Hunger Relief Partner of the Charlotte Hornets. Together, the two work on charity work in the North Carolina region.
In November 2022, Food Lion Feeds provided Thanksgiving meals to 1,000 families in need at the Hornets’ 12th annual Cornucopia event at Spectrum Center. Hornets partner Coca-Cola also provided a two-litre bottle of Dr Pepper or Diet Dr Pepper for every meal.
YMCA
In January 2022, the Hornets announced a multi-year partnership agreement with the YMCA of Greater Charlotte to make an impact in the Charlotte community through health equity and youth programming.
As part of the partnership, the Hornets act as the league’s title sponsor and provide Junior Hornets-branded competition jerseys for the YMCA’s young basketball leagues. As part of the “NBA Fit” initiative, which promotes fans’ physical and emotional welfare, the YMCA plays a big role in the Hornets’ “Pass the Plate” programme, which strives to introduce students to nutritious, inexpensive, and accessible cooking options.
WFNZ
The Hornets have WFNZ, a North Carolina-based radio station, serving as their radio home.
As per the deal, all pre-season, regular-season, and post-season Hornets games are carried out by WFNZ, with each game’s broadcast made available to fans on the Hornets app. The current agreement also includes an expanded 30-minute pre-game show and a 20-minute post-game wrap-up show.
The two parties last renewed their partnership in 2017 as part of a multi-year agreement.
Waste Pro
Waste Pro is a 2001-founded waste removal services company based out of Longwood, Florida.
In November 2020, the Charlotte Hornets and Waste Pro announced a multi-year partnership agreement, which made the latter the Official Waste Services Partner of the former, and as per which the waste management company provides solid waste collection services at Spectrum Center.
Ticketmaster
Ticketmaster, a live ticketing company, first started working with the Hornets in 2007. The deal was further renewed in August 2014, with Ticketmaster continuing to serve as the Hornets’ ticketing technology partner for Spectrum Arena.
Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association of America-College Retirement Equities Fund (TIAA)
The partnership between the Hornets and TIAA sees the two collaborating on the Hornets Sports & Entertainment Social Justice Platform, the latter serving as the team’s official retirement financial planning partner.
The Hornets Sports & Entertainment Social Justice Platform is the Hornets’ advocacy and action wing. It collaborates with TIAA to make the neighbourhood a more equitable and just place to live and work.
Gatorade
Sports drink company Gatorade is also an official sponsor of the Hornets.
As per the deal, Gatorade produces “Gx”, the official Hornets-themed bottle, for the team’s supporters.
Schindler
Schindler Elevator Corporation, a global mobility provider of elevators, escalators, and related services, signed a five-year service contract with the Hornets and the Charlotte Regional Visitor Authority in 2019 to provide full maintenance on seven elevators, five escalators, and two wheelchair lifts at Spectrum Center.
Northwood Ravin
Northwood Ravin, a 2011-founded real estate investor and advisor group, serves as the apartment provider to the Charlotte Hornets and multiple other sports organisations in the Charlotte region.
Through this partnership, Northwood Ravin takes care of all the hospitality and relocation needs of the Hornets athletes and staff.
GEICO
A Chevy Chase, Maryland-based private auto insurance company, Government Employees Insurance Company (GEICO) is also an official partner of the Charlotte Hornets and gains visibility by appearing prominently on their social media handles and other digital assets.
Lowe’s
Retail company Lowe’s is also an official partner of the Charlotte Hornets. Over the years, the two parties have come together for various community projects, like in October 2022 when they announced the “Hornets Legacy Project”, which helped 22 students pursue their dreams of building careers in the field of electrical construction.
As part of the deal, Lowe’s also gains visibility by appearing on the Hornets’ social media handles and other digital assets.
Michelob Ultra
Anheuser-Busch InBev, a multinational drink and brewing company based in Leuven, Belgium, is also an official Hornets sponsor.
Through this partnership, the brewing company’s light beer Michelob Ultra serves as the official malt beverage to the Hornets.
Brixx Pizza
Brixx Wood Fired Pizza + Craft Bar and the Hornets announced a partnership agreement in October 2023, which would allow the former to sell its pizza at Spectrum Center throughout the NBA season.
As per the deal, the two parties come together and undertake promotional offers for fans, such as the “Brixx Day After Double-Double”, a buy-one-get-one promotional campaign. The brand also gains visibility by appearing on the social media handles of the basketball team.
Kia
In October 2021, global automobile manufacturer Kia announced a partnership renewal agreement with the NBA as well as the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA). Through this deal, Kia also serves as an official sponsor to the Charlotte Hornets.
The deal includes a total of 13 NBA teams: the Atlanta Hawks, the Charlotte Hornets, the Chicago Bulls, the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Detroit Pistons, the Golden State Warriors, the LA Clippers, the Miami Heat, the New Orleans Pelicans, the New York Knicks, the Orlando Magic, the Philadelphia 76ers, and the Phoenix Suns.
As the Official Automotive Partner of the NBA, the WNBA, and the NBA G League, Kia continues to grow its presence across the leagues’ performance awards and marquee events.
Bet365
Online oddsmaker Bet365 and the Hornets announced the commencement of their partnership in November 2023, which sees the former serve as the latter’s Official Mobile Sports Betting Partner.
As per the deal, Bet365 receives branding through the team’s television and radio game broadcasts. Additionally, the Bet365 logo also features on in-arena signage as well as the official Hornets website, social media platforms, and app.
Bally’s Corporation
A multi-year strategic relationship agreement between the NBA and Bally’s Corporation, a US supplier of land-based gaming and interactive entertainment, was announced in May 2021, which made Bally’s an authorised sports betting operator of the NBA.
Through the arrangement, Bally’s has access to official league data and is granted permission to use the marks and logos of all NBA teams throughout its range of online sports betting products.
MeetKai
Conversational AI company MeetKai announced its partnership agreement with the Charlotte Hornets in October 2023.
The deal entails the two working on the Hornets Virtual Fan Shop, the first-ever virtual store in the NBA, via which fans can buy a wide variety of products, including jerseys, hats, collectables, and more.
