National Basketball Association
More and more airlines are forming marketing partnerships with sports teams, and United Airlines is the latest to join the fray, announcing a multi-year relationship with the Golden State Warriors.
The Golden State Warriors and United Airlines have formed a multi-year marketing partnership.
It will go into effect in the 2016-17 season and will continue when the basketball team moves from its current home at Oracle Arena in Oakland across the bay to Chase Center, a sports and entertainment complex, which will be built in the Mission Bay district along the San Francisco waterfront.
As part of the sponsorship, MileagePlus members will be able to redeem their miles for access to premium seats, suite tickets, and other VIP experiences.
Members of the airline’s loyalty programme will also be entitled to autographed Warriors merchandise on the MileagePlus Exclusives platform.
The new relationship will give United Airlines space for radio, social media, online, and in-arena messaging at Oracle Arena and, after the team moves, at Chase Center.
The airline will also a presence at Chase Center’s East Side Club.
Chase Center
The move of the Golden State Warriors across the bay is not without controversy.
Many East Bay sports fans that supported the team through decades of sub-standard play feel resentful of the team’s move just as it becomes a force to be reckoned with.
Environmentalists also worry about the impact the move will have on Mission Bay.
The move is hardly a slam dunk. But it does look all but inevitable at this stage.