A couple of big consumer brands based in Irvine were among the top national television advertisers during the National Basketball Association’s 2015-16 regular season.
Taco Bell Corp. was No. 3 with $10.8 million in spending, and Kia Motors America Inc. ranked No. 4 with an outlay of $9.4 million. The spending by the fast-food chain and the automaker helped boost the league’s national TV revenue—which includes games shown on broadcast and cable channels—by 47% to $487.8 million, according to data Bellevue, Wash.-based iSpot.tv gathered for MediaPost.
Kia spends significantly more as the “Official Automotive Partner of the NBA” and individual sponsor of 14 teams—deals that include both the regular season and the post-season playoffs, which are under way now.
Kia also pioneered the latest revenue stream for the league, which will begin selling advertising space on players’ jerseys next season. Sponsors will be able to place their logos—no bigger than 2.5 inches by 2.5 inches—on the upper left side of the jersey.
Each team will sell ads on its own jerseys.
The NBA first tried the ads with Kia logos on player jerseys during the NBA’s All-Star games in Toronto in February.
—Mediha DiMartino
