Harlem Globetrotters And Baden Sports Announce Multi-Year Partnership Renewal

ATLANTA, Jan. 29, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The world famous Harlem Globetrotters and Baden Sports today announced that they have extended their official partnership, keeping Baden as the official ball of the Harlem Globetrotters through 2023.

As part of their multi-year partnership extension, Baden and the Globetrotters will also launch the new "It All Starts with a Ball" campaign, which will donate a Baden Globetrotters basketball to an organization in need for every replica game ball sold in-arena at a Globetrotters show or online at shop.harlemglobetrotters.com between Jan. 29 and the end of the team's 2019 Fan Powered Tour of North America in April. The goal is to help as many children as possible start their journey with a basketball across all 50 U.S. states.

In addition to the "It All Starts with a Ball" campaign, Baden will provide the Globetrotters with their iconic red, white and blue basketballs for all promotional activities and games. Baden will receive traditional in-game assets and OOH marketing assets advertising as part of their renewed deal to extend their brand and campaign globally. Throughout the partnership, Baden and the Globetrotters will work on a joint retail licensing program designed to create new Globetrotter basketball products that will be available to fans in retail stores.

"We're excited to extend our partnership with Baden, which has been a partner of the Globetrotters for more than 30 years," said Globetrotters President Howard Smith. "In addition to the great quality of their basketballs, we're thrilled to have a partner that is committed to giving kids an opportunity to discover and fall in love with basketball, which has been a big part of our mission over the past nine-plus decades. We look forward to continuing to work together for the next several years."

"When we started with the Globetrotters in the mid-1980s, little did we envision that our involvement with such an American icon would endure and prosper for more than three decades," said Baden CEO Michael Schindler. "To be associated with such an entertaining, family-oriented institution like the Harlem Globetrotters is an honor we truly cherish and we are thrilled to extend our partnership for another five years."

The Globetrotters are in the midst of their 2019 Fan Powered World Tour, which will see the team play in more than 250 North American markets, as well as 30 countries worldwide. Tickets are now available at harlemglobetrotters.com.

For more information on the "It All Starts with a Ball" campaign, visit: www.harlemglobetrotters.com/2019-it-all-starts-ball-campaign

About the Harlem Globetrotters
The Harlem Globetrotters® are legendary worldwide, synonymous with one-of-a-kind family entertainment and great basketball skills for the past 92 years. Throughout their history, the Original Harlem Globetrotters have showcased their iconic talents in 123 countries and territories on six continents, often breaking down cultural and societal barriers while providing fans with their first-ever basketball experience. Proud inductees of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, the Globetrotters have entertained hundreds of millions of fans – among them popes, kings, queens, and presidents – over nine thrilling decades. The Ambassadors of Goodwill are sponsored by Baden Sports, the Official Basketball, Champion, the Official Uniform & Apparel provider and Tum-e Yummies, the Official Fruit Flavored Drink.  Harlem Globetrotters International, Inc. is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Herschend Enterprises, the largest family-owned themed entertainment company in the U.S. For the latest news and information about the Harlem Globetrotters, visit the Globetrotters' official Web site: www.harlemglobetrotters.com and follow them on Twitter @Globies.

About Baden
Baden Sports, an independent, family-owned company with headquarters in Renton, Wash., designs and manufactures high-quality athletic balls for players of all ages, skills, and abilities. Baden's relentless innovation and commitment to quality has led industry-wide adoption of its technologies and led conferences, programs, and coaches at all levels to choose Baden as their official ball. For more information, visit www.badensports.com, or join the conversation on Facebook (BadenSports), Instagram (badensports), and Twitter (@BadenSports).

SOURCE Harlem Globetrotters