In either case $500,000 or more per year is a joke. If sponsors are seriously spending that amount as a naming rights for a minor sport in Australia, they are wasting their money.
For not a lot more you could sponsor the whole NBL.

Then you have to trust the NBL would do enough marketing to make that investment worthwhile.

Knowing how deep the pockets are of Melb Utd's owners and there being no salary cap on advertising spend makes this sound like a shrewd investment.

Melbourne United posters will be in nearly every junior association. 500k is a smart investment. Melbourne are certainly ticking all the boxes early

Melb United owners may own the NBL before much longer. Jack / Marvin's power base is weakening and once that happens Jack will be gone. So to Perth.

Without googling, what are the other 8 teams naming rights sponsors?

Not worth $1m, but I suppose I never heard of CTI before now, so probably worth something to them. Doubt they'll get their ROI though

Basketball Victoria partners with Melbourne United

Category: Frontpage News, General


Basketball Victoria is pleased to announce that the State's newest National Basketball League team, Melbourne United, has signed a three-year deal to become a major partner of Basketball Victoria.

This new partnership will see many great benefits flow down to the Victorian basketball community, including an exciting injection of funds to the amount of three quarters of a million dollars over three years. Much of these funds will go directly into the development of both playing and coaching talent in Victoria, with both parties committing to as many as 500 coaching development courses over that time as a starting point.

The agreement will also see Melbourne United become a key participant in elite player training and high performance programs moving forward, while providing a genuine avenue for a closer link between elite and grassroots level basketball associations and clubs. A major feature of the team’s objectives is to put a predominantly Victorian list on the floor, which it is hoped will help provide some clarity for junior players on how the pathway to the NBL is paved.

As Victoria’s sole representative at the NBL level, Melbourne United’s mission has been to 'bring together the entire Victorian basketball community, behind one team, with one voice, sharing in the successes of the past, and the excitement of the future’.

This partnership will see this mission go a step further, with Melbourne United committing to playing a key role and being a major contributor to the development of the sport in Victoria and an active participant in the development and nurturing of the sport at the grassroots level through to the professional ranks.

In turn, Melbourne United will utilise the partnership to consolidate a long-term relationship with Basketball Victoria, as well as increase awareness of their brand across all Basketball Victoria affiliated associations.

We will have further details and updates in the coming days and weeks relating to the specifics of how the Victorian basketball community will benefit from this new partnership.

Early days I guess, so there is still much water to go under the bridge before we can judge the decision of taking this new direction, however the owners decided to take this path and are doing everything possible to make is work for this club.

I will be keen to note how exactly this will transend into pathway development for elite juniors and elite players in Victoria, espeically in country Victoria?

I am also holding on to see if this new direction has effectively destroyed any chance of a second team in Victoria getting a foothold or is the idea of utopia what the fans in Vic really want?

Doubt it!

Is this new direction the best thing for the NBL, or is it the best thing for the owners of this franchise?

I get that they want to secure their future, no issue with this, however the stronger their hold the harder it will be for a secondary franchise.

Unless the idea is that the same owners eventually split and form a second team down the track that is effectively controlled by the same group?

Smoke and mirrors, anyone?

Conspiracy theory or not, it appears they are starting to build walls and dictate terms very strongly in this state!

Absolutely, unless you were looking at a bigger picture with a strategic view of the NBL in 10-15 years time? Do you still want only the one NBL side in Melbourne then, no matter how good they are!

Melbourne United doing everything right so far. Think about it if they didn't get rid of the Tigers name there would be no tieup with Basketball Victoria. Sometimes you have to give up a lot to move further.