AusLeisure

In the first major step towards the relaunch of the National Basketball League's official licensed merchandise program, Basketball Australia has announced the appointment of internationally recognised basketball brand And 1 as the Official Apparel Supply Partner of the NBL and its teams.
In a four-year agreement with And 1âs Australian distributor, Basketball Australia has assigned the exclusive apparel supply rights for the NBL and its nine clubs to Fiddes Enterprises (Aust.) Pty. Ltd.
Aaron Flanagan, the NBLâs General Manager of Sales and Marketing, said And 1 was the perfect fit with the NBL brand, stating "we went through an exhaustive process to identify the best possible partner for our apparel program.
âFollowing the successful relaunch of the NBL last year, the securing of the free-to-air partnership with Network Ten and the re-entry of the Sydney Kings into the league for 2010, the opportunity to develop an industry wide apparel partnership was another significant step forward in rebuilding the equity and confidence in the NBL brand. After reviewing submissions from the major players in sports apparel, it became clear that And 1 was the right choice for the NBL."
Flanagan said the deal signalled the commencement of the NBLâs strategic move back into licensed merchandise.
âWhat was clearly highlighted through this process was that there is a real enthusiasm and appetite for the NBL and basketball generally. And 1 is an incredibly strong global basketball brand with solid relationships in the key retail channels. The opportunity to see NBL Teamwear back on the racks in the major sport retail chains next year is great news for our fans.�?
Peter Fiddes, Chief Executive of Fiddes Enterprises, who was one of the NBLâs original apparel licensees in the early days of the league, said it was clear that the NBL was starting to regain momentum and the time was right to get back involved, explaining "weâve watched with interest as Basketball Australia has undergone the reform process to get the NBL back to where it is today.
âThe steps that have been taken to consolidate the league and unify the clubs convinced us that it was time for us to renew our relationship with the NBL. The very fact that this agreement covers every NBL team is testament to the fact that the new governance structure BA has put in place has positioned the NBL to effectively tap into the true potential of the sport of basketball in this country. We couldnât be happier to be back on board.�?
As the Official Licensed Apparel Partner to the NBL, And1 will supply every NBL team with their on-court and off-court teamwear and will invest significantly into the marketing program to support the licensed range in retail.
The financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

http://www.AND1.com

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