The Chicago Bulls, of North American basketball’s NBA, has announced a partnership with online payment services company Klarna that will see the pair provide an in-seat merchandise delivery service during home games at the United Center this season.
Under the deal, spectators will be able to purchase selected items from the official Bull’s store via the team’s mobile app and have them delivered to their seats during games.
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As part of the deal, which starts with tomorrow’s (October 22) game against the Cleveland Cavaliers, Klarna will offer its 'Pay-in-4' installments offer during the payment process of the service.
Matt Kobe, Bulls’ executive vice president of revenue and strategy, said: “We look forward to bringing this new feature to fans at the United Center in partnership with Klarna.
“Providing fans an opportunity to purchase Bulls gear without missing any game action demonstrates our ongoing commitment to enhancing the gameday experience.
“As we prepare for the upcoming season, we are excited to continue collaborating with Klarna to create legendary experiences for fans.”
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By GlobalDataThe deal builds on the Bulls' relationship with Klarna, which started at the beginning of this year. Under that multi-year deal, Klarna sponsors the team’s practice jersey among other assets.
Megan Gokey, Klarna’s head of B2C marketing for North America, said: “As the team’s official shopping partner, we’re excited to work with the Bulls to bring ‘smooth delivery’ to fans in the United Center through the Bulls mobile app, making shopping easier than ever before so that they don’t have to miss a second of the action.
“Our two brands each share a commitment to innovation and exploring new ways to interact with fans, so we are excited to bring this new in-arena offering to life while also giving fans at home the tools they need to enhance their viewing experience.”
The deal marks the expansion of Klarna’s sports partnerships after announcing an agreement with Angel City FC, of US soccer’s top-tier NWSL last year.
The NBA 2022-23 regular season started on Tuesday (October 18) and will end on April 9, 2023.
The league saw the highest TV audience for its Opening Night doubleheader in five years, with a 17% increase on the 2021-22 edition.
