Wingstop Inc. and the National Basketball Association have signed a deal to make the brand the official chicken partner of the NBA, the groups said Thursday. The agreement marked Wingstop’s first official partnership with a major U.S. professional sports league.
As Dallas-based Wingstop continues to grow its footprint with more than 2,350 restaurants, the brand plans to extend its virtual presence and physical signage to televised NBA broadcasts with the new deal, which also includes the NBA’s minor league, the NBA G league.
“Our fans love watching NBA while enjoying our cooked-to-order wings, hand sauced-and-tossed in our bold flavors,” Michael Skipworth, Wingstop’s president and CEO, said in a statement. “This partnership is another demonstration of Wingstop being in a category-of-one, claiming our spot as the official chicken and official wing partner of the NBA.”
As part of the deal, Wingstop will have a presence at the NBA All-Star game, beginning with the 2025 All-Star Game in the San Francisco Bay Area. Wingstop will be a presenting partner at the Ruffles NBA All-Star Celebrity Game Green Carpet, which showcases celebrity arrivals at the annual exhibition game and will be on Friday, Feb. 14, at Oakland Arena.
“Wingstop is an industry leader that has established itself as a mainstay in the gameday routines of many of our fans,” Julie Morris, NBA senior vice president of commercial development and media, said in a statement.
The partnership builds on Wingstop’s existing relationships with NBA teams, including the Chicago Bulls, Detroit Pistons, Los Angeles Lakers, Milwaukee Bucks, and New York Knicks.
Wingstop, founded in 1994, has more than 2,350 locations worldwide.
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