Aditya ChaudhuriOne of the most popular and successful basketball teams in the NBA, the Los Angeles Lakers started off their journey as the Minneapolis Lakers in 1947. In 1960, the team relocated to Los Angeles and are since known as the Los Angeles Lakers.
With 17 NBA Championships in the bag, the joint-most in NBA History, and boasting of some of the greats in their jersey such as Earvin “Magic” Johnson, Shaquille O’Neal, Kobe Bryant and LeBron James, the Lakers are the giants of the sport.
Here we look at the partners and sponsors of the Lakers.
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Beats by Dre
The Lakers signed a multi-year deal with Beats by Dre in 2018, which saw the headphone company join on as their Official Headphone, Wireless speaker and Audio Partner.
Beyond Meat
In November 2019, Los Angeles-based producer of plant-based meat products, Beyond Meat, joined forces with the LA Lakers, becoming their Official Plant-Based Meat Provider.
The deal sees Beyond Meat collaborate with the Lakers to create engaging content, work on fan engagement activities, and introduce their fans to plant-based meat and educate them about the benefits of the same.
Bibigo
In September 2021, the Lakers stitched a multi-year partnership with Korean food company Bibigo, which was reportedly worth US$100m.
Bibigo joined as the team’s jersey patch sponsor and is a global marketing partner of the Lakers. The Korean company works on content creation and fan engagement activities and also receives in-arena signage and access to the Lakers’ digital assets.
BioSteel
In August 2021, the Lakers signed a multi-year partnership with Toronto-based nutrition company, BioSteel, which saw the latter become the team’s Official Sports Drink Partner.
BioSteel gets branding both on and off the court at the Staples Center and also on the team bench setups and inside the locker rooms along with in-arena signage.
The deal is reportedly worth US$5 million per season.
Adidas
The German sportswear giant Adidas is a corporate sponsor of the Los Angeles Lakers.
Comerica Bank
Dallas-based banking company Comerica has been a long-time partner of the LA Lakers, having first tied up with the team in 1992.
In 2002, Comerica was announced as the club’s Official Banking Partner.
Both parties also collaborate to work on multiple activities and fan engagement projects together.
Cincoro Tequila
Founded by the Lakers’ controlling owner Jeanie Buss, Wes Edens of the Milwaukee Bucks, Wyc Grousbeck from the Boston Celtics and Michael Jordan of the Charlotte Hornets, Cincoro Tequila joined the Los Angeles Lakers sponsorship portfolio as an official sponsor in December 2019.
The partnership sees the Lakers work on awareness campaigns of the tequila brand through in-arena signage and various hospitality events.
Delta Air Lines
In January 2011, Delta Air Lines signed a new multi-year sponsorship deal with the LA Lakers which saw it become the team’s official sponsor and exclusive airline partner.
The deal saw Delta receive multiple branding opportunities at the Staples Center, including centre-court rotational signage, rotary sign space on suite level and branding and rotating message space on the centre-hung scoreboard and LED sideboards.
In 2019, both parties renewed their partnership in another multi-year deal.
East West Bank
Founded in 1973 in Los Angeles, East West Bank has been an official sponsor of the Los Angeles Lakers since 2007.
The Lakers’ Tip-Offs are presented by East West Bank, with the bank also receiving on-air and in-arena branding. Both East West Bank and the Lakers work together on community projects, with the bank serving as the official sponsor of various LA Lakers initiatives such as the Thanksgiving Celebration, Fishing Trip, Holiday Party, and Christmas Day Game and Lunch.
Fifth Third Bank
The Cincinnati-headquartered bank signed a partnership with the Lakers in February 2021, which saw it become an Official Sponsor of the team.
Fifth Third Bank also serves as the Official Presenting Sponsor of the Lakers’ Student & Educator of the Month program. The partnership also sees the bank donate regularly to the Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro LA every time the Lakers score 53 points or more.
G.O.A.T Fuel
Founded by NFL Hall of Famer Jerry Rice and his family, G.O.A.T Fuel is a lifestyle brand that focuses on putting forward health-focused products.
The Texas-based company, which sells mainly energy drinks and apparel, is a corporate sponsor of the Los Angeles Lakers.
Hyperice
An industry leader in recovery technology and pioneer of percussion, vibration, dynamic air compression and thermal technology, Hyperice joined the LA Lakers as their Official Recovery Technology Sponsor in July 2020.
With its cutting-edge technology and products, Hyperice provides the best treatment and recovery methods to optimise performance and accelerate recovery for the players.
CallJacob.com
The Lakers also have a multi-year sponsorship deal in place with Los Angeles law firm CallJacob.com, which focuses on personal injury law. The deal sees CallJacob.com receive in-arena fan engagement opportunities and social media presence.
Jack in the Box
American fast-food restaurant chain Jack in the Box has been a long-time partner of the Los Angeles Lakers.
The partnership sees Jack in the Box receive in-arena branding, while the fast-food chain in return works with the Lakers to create multiple fan giveaways and offers on matchdays.
LA Metro
The agency, which runs the transportation system in the Los Angeles County, is also an official sponsor of the Los Angeles Lakers.
Apart from branding visibility, both parties collaborate to work on multiple fan activities, most recently having partnered on the Lakers TAP cards, which is a full-day pass at select bus stops and rail stations. The initiative sees the Lakers distribute these cards to low-income neighbourhoods and also at the Boys and Girls Club.
LG
In August 2018, the Lakers partnered with LG to harness the power of solar energy.
The partnership saw LG Solar installation at the Lakers’ UCLA Health Training Center. With the partnership, the Lakers continue to showcase their commitment to sustainability.
Mano’s Wine
One of the leading manufacturers and distributors of deep etched and hand painted wine, Mano’s Wine is a corporate partner of the Los Angeles Lakers.
The Lakers and Mano’s Wine have collaborated together to create exclusive limited-edition Lakers’ wine collection, which is available on the Mano’s Wine website. Apart from that, Mano’s Wine also enjoys exclusive rights to the Lakers’ digital assets.
MGM Resorts
One of the world’s largest hospitality and entertainment company, MGM resorts is an official club sponsor of the LA Lakers.
Along with the Lakers, MGM Resorts also has a deal in place with the NBA itself, serving as one of its Official Partners since 2018.
New Amsterdam Vodka
Vodka and gin brand New Amsterdam Vodka inked a deal with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2019, which saw it become an Official Partner of the Lakers.
Along with digital presences, New Amsterdam Vodka also works on ticket giveaways to the Lakers’ games and other fan engagement activities.
Nike
Sportswear giant Nike has been a corporate sponsor of the Lakers since 2003. Nike is also one of their shirt sponsors. Nike currently has its iconic ‘swoosh’ symbol on the right-hand top corner on the front of the Lakers’ jersey.
Pechanga
Pechanga Resort & Casino is an official partner of the Lakers, and together the two collaborate on events such as the ‘Hoops for Troops’ for Veterans Day along with social media presence granted to Pechanga.
PepsiCo
One of the world’s largest beverage, food and snack companies, PepsiCo is also a corporate partner of the Los Angeles Lakers.
In January 2021, Lakers legend LeBron James strengthened the partnership, ending his 18-year sponsorship with Coca-Cola to shift to PepsiCo.
Socios.com
In October 2021, Lakers signed a multi-year deal with fan engagement platform Socios.com. The deal sees the Chiliz-owned platform partner with the Lakers to create fan engagement opportunities.
Socios.com is also the presenting sponsor of the Lakers’ official fan group on Facebook. It also gains broadcast-visible signage and features in the Lakers’ Twitter Polls.
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Toyota
Japanese multinational automotive manufacturer Toyota is also a corporate sponsor of the Los Angeles Lakers. Lexus, the luxury vehicle division of Toyota, is also an official sponsor of the team.
Ticket Exchange by Ticket Master
Ticket Exchange, the marketplace for buying and selling tickets, is the Official Resale Marketplace of the Los Angeles Lakers.
UCLA Health
The healthcare division of the University of California, Los Angeles, UCLA Health, signed a deal with the Los Angeles Lakers in September 2016 which saw it gain exclusive naming rights to the team’s training ground. The deal was reported to be worth US$4 million per year.
The Lakers and UCLA Health also work together in community, educational and research efforts in injury prevention and sports performance.
Verizon
In May 2021, the Lakers were one of the 15 NBA teams that struck a deal with telecommunications company Verizon.
The multi-year partnership sees the 5G network made available at the Lakers stadium, with Verizon serving as the Official 5G Partner to the Lakers. The team also work with Verizon to provide their fans with better experiences.
Wingstop
In November 2010, chicken wings chain Wingstop inked a long-term deal with the Los Angeles Lakers that saw it become the Official Sponsor of the Lakers and the Official Wings of the club as well.
Wingstop has exclusive naming and logo rights for advertising and enjoys branding presence on the Lakers’ website and the Staples Center. The two also collaborate on multiple fan engagement activities.
