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For the fifth time in NBA history, the All-Star Game will take place in the so-called mecca of basketball: New York City.
If that lofty title seems a little bit hoary for a metropolis with two professional teams that can’t seem to get out of their own way, at least it speaks to the glitz and star power of the city itself. Basketball in New York City is always front (or back) page news, whether the Knicks and Nets are good or (more often than not) lousy.
Marketing executives at Turner Sports are putting Gotham front and center this week, making the city a focal point for its All-Star Weekend ad campaign.
The NBA Takes NYC
With that in mind, Turner set up campaigns based around the urban centers where people congregate, including barber shops, buses and taxis.
Starting Thursday, TNT takes over Levels Barbershops in Brooklyn and Harlem, providing fans with free haircuts and giveaways. A DJ will spin music and Turner will set up TVs in the shops that will air exclusive All-Star-game-related content.
“We’ve always talked about barber shops and the NBA and how they’re tied together,” says Mirman. “We’re just going to be part of it,” he says. “Put a few TVs up, create conversation. Our social team will be part of it.”
Turner is blanketing city transportation with All-Star content as well, putting it in more than 11,000 city cabs. One hundred digital taxi tops will also provide live scoring updates during the game itself on Sunday. Double-decker buses in the city will be wrapped in LED screens showing live streaming coverage including video highlights and social media updates throughout the weekend.
The marketing blitz transcends the mere worldly plane. Turner and DC Entertainment have partnered to release a special edition comic book, The Justice League Goes Inside the NBA All Star 2015, which pairs Charles Barkley, Shaquille O’Neal and the rest of the Inside the NBA team with DC Comics’ The Justice League.
Returning to earth, Inside the NBA will begin Turner’s All-Star coverage live from the Hammerstein Ballroom on Thursday night.
Taking NBA Online, On-Air
Always a sartorial spectacle, All-Star fashion will be showcased on TNT Saturday night at 6:30 with NBA All-Star All-Style presented by Samsung Galaxy. The hour-long show is executive produced by LeBron James’ Springhill Production Company along with Turner Sports and IMG. The show will be taped Friday at the Hammerstein Theater.
Players will team up with a stylist and model to walk the runway in three different outfits—-one for the boardroom, one for a night out and one for game day. Charles Barkley and Kenny Smith will be part of the judging panel along with WNBA star Elena Delle Donne, designer Josh Elliott and GQ Style Editor Will Welch. The show will have integrations with sponsors Kia Motors and Ciroc Vodka.
Turner’s Cartoon Network is getting in on the fun through its CN Sayin’ app that will allow kids to send video questions to the All-Stars. The network will also showcase highlights from this year’s mascot slam dunk contest (yes that’s a real thing) during special programming blocks.
NBA Digital has more than 140 hours of All-Star content planned across a number of platforms. On Wednesday, NBA TV aired The City Game, which highlights New York City’s rich basketball history. The network will air practice for the rising stars game and offer up live coverage of All-Star Media Day on Friday. On Saturday, they’ve got coverage of the Basketball Hall of Fame finalist announcements plus coverage of All-Star practice on location from Madison Square Garden.
Online, NBA.com is launching a digital Mt. Rushmore of the NBA, where fans can choose their top four all-time players and then share their picks across Facebook and Twitter. NBA Mobile is providing users with behind-the-scenes video goodies from All-Star Weekend plus an NYC-centric App that gives fans a guide, map and event schedules for all of the weekend’s festivities. On Instagram, Turner is sponsoring a series of posts teasing the weekend’s events.
“The demographics [of the NBA] are younger and I think they’re more tech-savvy,” says Mirman. “The NBA proper has done a great job of creating an atmosphere that’s social.”
And there’s a game!
There’s a bit of basketball too. On Friday, ESPN will cover the Sprint NBA All-Star Celebrity Game. ESPN’s Mike Golic and Mike Greenberg will coach the teams along with Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony and filmmaker Spike Lee. TNT takes over coverage at 9 with the Rising Stars Challenge, sponsored by BBVA Compass.
All-Star Saturday Night festivities get under way at 8:30 pm ET with the Degree Shooting Stars competition followed by the Taco Bell Skills Challenge and the Foot Locker Three-Point Contest, expected to be a highlight of the weekend with stars like Golden State’s Steph Curry, Houston’s James Harden and Atlanta sharpshooter Kyle Korver all vying for the three-point title crown. The night closes with the Sprite Slam Dunk contest.
Ratings for the All-Star Game have more or less remained stable over the last decade, with a few peaks and valleys. Last year’s game drew 7.5 million viewers and a 4.3 rating, down about 6% year-over-year. The game has pretty consistently pulled ratings in the mid-4s since 2005, down considerably from the Jordan glory days of the 1990s.
Still, it’s a game based in star power, and this year young breakouts such as Curry and Damian Lillard plus longtime stars like LeBron James and Dirk Nowitzki mean the NBA’s big winter weekend will shine once again.
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