Miami Heat sponsors cashing in on Playoff run

Heat fans have certainly had a reason to be excited this postseason, with the team being two wins from a championship. But, you know who else has been giddy with excitement during the postseason? The Miami Heat sponsors.

As the Heat continue on to game 4 of the NBA Finals, the team’s various sponsors are simply living the dream. With sponsorship monies typically covering just the NBA’s regular season, the fact that the Heat have already assured their sponsors maximum exposure, on the NBA’s biggest stage, has to have their sponsors excited. While the extra exposure is great for sponsors, the team also benefits from a sponsorship because they typically are allowed to keep most, if not all of the sponsorship money. It’s truly a win-win, especially when you have a successful team like the Heat.

“Who wouldn’t want to come to Miami and see the Three Kings play?” asked Lori Medici, vice president of marketing for Miaami-based apparel maker Perry Ellis, a Heat sponsor since 1999. (via )

Experts have estimated that some of the Heat’s sponsors have paid upwards of $500,000, with that price varying depending uupon when they signed a sponsorship agreement with the team (i.e. pre-Lebron vs. post-Lebron).

Sponsors like Perry Ellis spend the year setting up photo shoots with the team in Perry Ellis apparel, dressing the ushers in Perry Ellis clothing, and giving away their own Cubavera tops to the crowd. It’s all in an effort to remind fans of the brand the next time they update their wardrobe.

And now, with the Heat ensuring that the maximum number of games will be played in Miami this season, Perry Ellis, and other Heat sponsors will receive 14 extra games of exposure, be it signage, promotions or print. And with the “Big 3″ still under contract for multiple years, and with the Heat competing for a title, its easy to believe that sponsors will continue to maximize their sponsorship dollar.

Its good to be a Miami Heat sponsor. Really good.