One of the NBA's recently successful yet devastated teams, the Indianapolis pacers have hired Shamrock sports & entertainment to attract national sponsors outside of the Indianapolis market.
The Pacers did reach some level of success last season as they made the NBA playoffs, beat the Atlanta Hawks in the first round, defeated the Washington Wizards in the second, and lost to the Miami Heat in the semi-finals. For an NBA team returning from a championship run the season before, it is still disappointing to fall short after going so far the season before. Despite all the in-game success, the Indianapolis Pacers are also victims to devastating injuries to some of their starters. Their main star Paul George is expected to miss the entire season with an open tibia-fibula fracture, C.J. Watson is out of the line up with an injured right foot, David West has missed 3 games and counting because of a sprained ankle, and Rodney Stucky is the latest Pacer on the injured list because of a sore foot. With this giant list of injuries varying in severity, how does this impact the organizations sponsors? are people less interested in the Pacers with their star athlete on the shelf?
When I think Pacer and gaining sponsorship through ads I think of the Paul George Gatorade Fierce ad where he cuts through a defender and leaps up for the slam dunk as Gatorade is seemingly coming out of him in mid air. With that image alone, if it where to air on TV now, it would just remind me how the Pacers have done well in the past few seasons, and how it is most likely all over.
According to sportsbusinessdaily.com the pacers have 130 sponsors when the average NBA team has about 75-80. Shamrock and the Pacers are aiming to get more national brands in nine separate categories including foreign automotive, tires, house hold products, and home improvement. The deal these two organizations have made will last for 18 months, and the renewal will depend on Shamrock's size of clients at the the conclusion of the 18 month period. It will be interesting to see all the variables in the situation including if Shamrock can successfully gain national sponsors for the team, level of fan interest, and how far the Pacers actually get this season when everything is said and done.
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