The New York Knicks are the toast of the town with their first trip to the NBA Finals since 1999. When the Knicks take the court for Game 3 at Madison Square Garden next week, one logo will flank the NBA Finals trophy and Knicks logo at center court: Chase.
Since 2010, JPMorgan Chase has been the marquee partner of MSG and its teams: the Knicks and NHL’s Rangers. It is not a name on the building, but the comprehensive partnership is akin to a naming rights deal, where agreements can top $20 million per year for arenas in the biggest markets.
The current Knicks squad is a far cry from recent teams that enjoyed only one playoff series win in 21 seasons before the current four-year run. But that did not deter from the brand value for Chase, which re-upped its deal with MSG and the Knicks in 2021.
“There’s sort of no better place for us to be able to have made this long-term investment and have the access and association that that we’ve been able to leverage,” Kate Schoff, head of sports and entertainment marketing at JPMorgan Chase, said in a video interview. “We obviously see that tremendously in this moment in time, but it really is a 365-day partnership where we do our best to find those moments in time that really resonate.”
