NBA and Plus Licens announce partnership
NBA AND PLUS LICENS ANNOUNCE PARTNERSHIP PARIS, MAY 9, 2001 - The National Basketball Association (NBA) and Plus Licens announced today an agreement that establishes Plus Licens as the NBA's exclusive licensing agent for the Nordic and Eastern European markets. The two-year deal, which will see Plus Licens develop a wide-range of NBA product categories including apparel (Nordic only), stationary, gifts, novelties, foods, home textiles, personal care, promotions and publishing, marks the NBA's commitment to developing its business in Europe. "There are currently 14 players from Eastern Europe in the NBA and with the addition of Hanno Möttölä from Finland this season, interest in NBA basketball in these markets is very high," said José Violante, Vice President and Managing Director of NBA Europe. "Plus Licens is the largest licensing agency in Eastern Europe and Scandinavia, and with more than 20 years experience, they are the ideal partner to capitalize on our growth potential." The NBA has over 30 licensees in Europe including such worldwide brands as Champion USA, Electronic Arts and Spalding. The league is also actively increasing its licensing activity by working with well- established European companies offering strong retail distribution. Among these companies are the school supplies manufacturers Papeteries Hamelin, Stypen and Cartiere Pigna, personal care companies, Coty Astor, SFI and Leapfrog, and the home furnishings company SDE. "The NBA is a globally recognized brand and we are looking forward to developing the many licensing opportunities available to us," said Peder Tamm, President of Plus Licens. "As NBA basketball continues to grow in Europe, we will be providing consumers in the Nordic and Eastern European markets with a wide-range of licensed products featuring some of the world's most popular NBA players and teams." Based in Stockholm, Sweden, Plus Licens have offices in Poland, Russia, Prague and Budapest and have among their clients Warner Bros, United Media and the National Hockey League (NHL). This season NBA games and related programming will reach more than 750 million households in 206 countries and 42 languages. The league has also become increasingly accessible to international fans through its official Web site, NBA.com with more than 37% of the site's users logging on from outside the United States. A record number 45 international players from 28 countries and territories currently play in the NBA. With offices in Barcelona, Cologne, London, Milan and European headquarters in Paris, the NBA has 15 offices operating around the world. For further information or to receive photos please contact: Jennie Brice, NBA Europe: (33) 1 53 53 63 13, jbrice@nba.com Peder Tamm, Plus Licens: (46) 8 54 51 39 00, peder.tamm@pluslicens.se ------------------------------------------------------------ This information was brought to you by BIT http://www.bit.se The following files are available for download: http://www.bit.se/bitonline/2001/05/09/20010509BIT00500/bit0002.doc http://www.bit.se/bitonline/2001/05/09/20010509BIT00500/bit0002.pdf