The NBA and Beats by Dre announced a global partnership Wednesday, disseminating a press release to media. From the release:
Beats by Dr. Dre (Beats), the leading global premium headphone brand co-founded by Dr. Dre and Jimmy Iovine, and the National Basketball Association (NBA) today announced a comprehensive marketing and merchandising partnership that will make the company the official headphone, wireless speaker and audio partner of the NBA, Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA), NBA G League and USA Basketball beginning in October 2018.
“Beats revolutionized the music industry and has become one of the most innovative and culturally-influential brands in the world,” said NBA Commissioner Adam Silver. “Through our partnership, we have an exciting opportunity to merge sports, pop culture and technology to deliver unparalleled experiences and premium products to our fans.”
In celebration of Beats’ 10-year anniversary, the multi-year deal will build on the music and tech brand’s global recognition by leveraging its extensive roster of NBA stars including LeBron James, Draymond Green, James Harden, Ben Simmons, Jayson Tatum and Karl-Anthony Towns.
The press release included the following quote from Houston Rockets guard and reigning MVP James Harden:
“I always want to be the best and work with the best. That’s why I joined the Beats fam – they have the best headphones and they made them a style icon when no one else thought of electronics that way,” said six-time NBA All-Star James Harden. “Whether I’m traveling, working out or decompressing after a game, I can’t imagine listening to anything without them. Beats loves basketball and always works to tell the stories of their favorite players. I’m excited to see what they do with the NBA.”
The following video was also uploaded to YouTube by Beats by Dre:
