PayPal Signs Partnership With Phoenix Suns, Including 3-Year Jersey Patch Sponsorship

The Phoenix Suns are starting the 2018 NBA season with a jersey patch sponsor in PayPal, which has signed a three-year partnership with the NBA franchise. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

In addition to placement on Suns’ jerseys, PayPal will also be integrated in services throughout the Talking Stick Resort Arena experience, including with regard to parking, concessions and ticketing. Furthermore, PayPal will allow fans to pay with their Venmo balance throughout the arena..

Phoenix Suns executives indicate that a big selling point for partnering with PayPal is the company’s presence in the region.

“In an increasingly digital and mobile world, there’s no better teammate for this extensive partnership than an innovative industry leader like PayPal,” said Suns President and Chief Executive Officer Jason Rowley. “It was important for us to partner with an organization that had a strong local presence in the Valley and demonstrated a shared commitment to positively impacting our community.  Through this partnership, we’ll utilize PayPal’s leadership and expertise in technology and innovation to help create a better experience for our fans at home and around the globe.”

PayPal is very new to the sport sponsorship space, but is making a big splash with the Phoenix Suns’ ownership. The Suns deal is part of a larger agreement that includes PayPal working with the WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury as well as Real Club Deportiva Mallorca, which plays in Spain’s La Liga Segunda Division. The Mercury jerseys will be revealed in Spring 2019.

The last jersey patch sponsorship covered by The Sports Biz was a deal signed by the San Antonio Spurs and Frost Bank.