NBA strikes deal with Dicos

With a new teammate on the floor, the NBA is confident of lifting basketball to even greater heights in China.

As playoff fever grips Chinese fans, the league has announced a new multiyear deal with fast-food chain Dicos, making the Taiwan-based brand a marketing partner of NBA China.

The linkup will see the fried-chicken vendor engage fans with NBA-themed meals, in-store decoration and family activities across its 2,500 outlets in China.

Dicos will also stage interactive fan events on the sidelines of this year's NBA China Games, featuring the Los Angeles Lakers versus the Brooklyn Nets on Oct 10 in Shanghai and two days later in Shenzhen, Guangdong province.

"Dicos shares our passion for the game of basketball, and we are delighted to welcome them to the NBA family," said NBA China CEO Derek Chang at Monday's ceremony in Beijing to announce the partnership.

"Through Dicos' expansive restaurant network, we look forward to working with them to spread the excitement of the NBA experience and culture in new ways and to more fans."

This year's China Games will be the league's 27th and 28th preseason exhibitions here since 2004.

Chang reckons the arrival of Lakers megastar LeBron James to face the Nets, partially owned by Joe Tsai, co-founder of Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba Group, adds an extra dimension to the matchup.

"This is the one opportunity for fans in China to really engage with our product, our content, our players and our games on a live basis, so we do everything we can to make it our signature event of the year," he said.

Starting in June, Dicos will host an NBA-themed basketball challenge with teams and mascot elements during its Family Day event.

Dicos will also launch an "NBA energy meal" this summer, featuring franchise branding and new menu items.

Additional activities around the NBA China Games will be announced at a later date, according to Shao Xinmou, CEO of Dicos' parent company, Ting Qiao F&B Group.

"For more than 20 years, Dicos has continuously challenged itself in pursuit of progress and excellence," said Shao.

"This collaboration with the NBA is key to the strategic upgrading of the Dicos brand and will position us to deliver some rich experiences to consumers."

Chang said Dicos' presence in China's third-tier cities will give the NBA more comprehensive exposure.

"NBA fans are very passionate and knowledgeable about our league," said the Chinese American.

"Dicos restaurants provide a great environment for NBA fans to talk about basketball with their friends and family."

The NBA estimates that around 700 million Chinese－about twice the total population of the United States－watched live games or league programming on TV or online during the 2017-2018 season, while more than 200 million people followed the league on Chinese social media platforms.