American Express and the NBA Bring Fans Closer to the Game They Love with Enhanced “Home Court Advantage” Digital Destination

American Express and the National Basketball Association (NBA) this week unveiled their digital destination on NBA.com,“Home Court Advantage.” The site will provide fans with the personal insights and stories behind some of the biggest players in the game through exclusive video content, NBA player roundtables, interactive social chats, as well as access to NBA tickets and merchandise, establishing a unique basketball destination for NBA fans.

“American Express has a rich heritage of providing services that enhance our Card Members’ passions – we’re thrilled to be delivering basketball fans unique advantages all season long,” said Deborah Curtis, vice president, entertainment and sports marketing, American Express. “Fans can come to ‘Home Court Advantage’ anytime to see personal stories about their favorite players and experience the game in new, memorable and rewarding ways.”

“Our partnership with American Express has been defined by our collaborative efforts to continue to provide NBA fans with authentic digital experiences that bring them closer to the game,” said Kerry Tatlock, NBA senior vice president, global marketing partnerships. “‘Home Court Advantage’ is yet another example of our shared commitment to leading-edge digital innovation that will give fans access to a wealth of custom, behind-the-scenes NBA content.”

The new “Home Court Advantage” will be updated regularly with:

• Original video series telling the personal stories of NBA players, including Victor Oladipo discussing how his sister has inspired his game, as well as center Steven Adams describing to fans what it’s like to be a big man shopping small in his local community. Additional videos are slated throughout the season highlighting 2013 BBVA Compass Rising Stars Challenge MVP Kenneth Faried, eight-time NBA All-Star Dwight Howard, 2014 NBA All-Star Sprite Slam Dunk Champion John Wall, three-time NBA All-Star Kevin Love and 2014 BBVA Compass Rising Stars Challenge MVP Andre Drummond.
• NBA player roundtable discussions where fans can view a discussion between NBA players and experts to learn about the latest basketball news, their personal insights and more. Discussions will happen alongside some of the most anticipated moments of the season, including Kia NBA Tip-off and NBA All-Star Weekend.
• Social conversations about the game with insiders and fans. American Express and the NBA will conduct biweekly social chats where fans will have an opportunity to participate and comment on hot topics throughout the season using the official #AmexNBA hash tag.
• Tips and interesting NBA facts generated by NBA insiders will be shared both on ‘Home Court Advantage’ and on American Express and NBA’s social channels using #AmexNBA. Topics will include “This Day in NBA History,” ”#NBATBT” [Throwback Thursday] and “top 10 lists” about players, teams and the league.

As an extension of the online destination, American Express and the NBA will once again bring back their Home Court Advantage pregame show with the Boston Celtics, which debuted last season. This year, the Brooklyn Nets and Washington Wizards will also host similar pregame shows, in order to provide more fans game-day access to their favorite teams from their mobile devices. The pregame shows will be live-streamed prior to tipoff on the teams’ respective mobile apps and team webpages. Hosted by NBA experts, the “Home Court Advantage” pregame shows will provide key insights to all of the teams’ home matchups and will feature select player interviews.

As the Official Credit Card of the NBA, WNBA, and NBA D-League, American Express will continue to provide Card Members with exclusive experiences and access to regular-season and playoff games, along with premier events such as NBA All-Star and the NBA Draft presented by State Farm. Card Members will also be able to participate in NBA-themed hospitality events, behind-the-scenes access, exclusive offers through team partnerships, and opportunities to meet NBA players and legends. For more information on upcoming packages, tickets and offers, please visit americanexpress.com/entertainment and NBATickets.com.

About American Express

American Express is a global services company, providing customers with access to products, insights and experiences that enrich lives and build business success. Learn more at americanexpress.com and connect with us on facebook.com/americanexpress,foursquare.com/americanexpress, linkedin.com/companies/american-express,twitter.com/americanexpress,and youtube.com/americanexpress.

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About the NBA

The NBA is a global sports and media business built around three professional sports leagues: the National Basketball Association, the Women’s National Basketball Association, and the NBA Development League. The league has established a major international presence with offices in 13 markets worldwide, games and programming in 215 countries and territories in 47 languages, and NBA merchandise for sale in more than 125,000 stores in 100 countries on 6 continents. NBA rosters at the start of the 2013-14 season featured a record 92 international players from 39 countries and territories. NBA Digital’s assets include NBA TV, which is available in 60 million U.S. homes, and NBA.com, which recorded 26.9 billion page views during the 2013-14 season, with more than half of all visitors originating from outside of North America. The NBA is the No. 1 professional sports league on social media, with 700 million likes and followers globally across all league, team, and player platforms. Through NBA Cares, the league and its teams and players have donated more than $242 million to charity, completed more than 3 million hours of hands-on community service, and created more than 915 places where kids and families can live, learn, or play.