Rakuten Sports and Golden State Warriors Enter Strategic Partnership to Develop Key APAC Markets

Tokyo, April 28, 2022 - Rakuten Sports and the six-time NBA Champion Golden State Warriors have entered into a strategic partnership for business development and partner acquisition in key Asia Pacific markets. Under this agreement, Rakuten Sports – a Rakuten Group service focused on creating partnerships built on shared values with professional sports teams, athletes, brands and rights-holders around the world – will become the exclusive international partner in Japan, Taiwan and Singapore for the promotion and sale of Warriors partnership packages in these three markets. Rakuten Sports will support the franchise by developing partner-based deals in these key markets.

“Through this partnership with Rakuten Sports, we are excited to identify companies in key Asia Pacific markets that share our values and desire to grow as brand partners and have a positive impact on the global community,” said Warriors Executive Vice President, Mike Kitts. “We know that less than one percent of NBA fans worldwide have the opportunity to attend a game in person, but there is a very clear global appetite and fanbase for Golden State Warriors basketball. For us, driving engagement and interaction opportunities with those fans is paramount.”

Rahul Kadavakolu, Vice President of Rakuten’s Global Sports Business, commented, “Since making history by unveiling our jersey partnership in 2017, the Warriors and Rakuten have worked together to delight fans and grow our brands and the sport of basketball as a whole. The Warriors are a model for the sport of basketball today, and we are proud to team up again to bring in like-minded brands and partners for the Warriors in Asia.”

The Warriors’ roster currently features two-time NBA MVP Stephen Curry, five-time NBA All-Star Klay Thompson, and 2017 NBA Defensive Player of the Year and four-time NBA All-Star Draymond Green. The team will visit Japan this fall for the NBA Japan Games 2022 Presented by Rakuten to play two preseason games against the Washington Wizards at Saitama Super Arena.

This partnership with the Warriors marks a new initiative for Rakuten in its commitment to empowering the world of professional sport. In Japan, Rakuten operates the professional baseball team Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles and professional J.League soccer club Vissel Kobe, and also serves as the title sponsor for the Rakuten Japan Open Tennis Championships. Rakuten has also partnered with the NBA and the legendary soccer club FC Barcelona, and is engaged in a variety of initiatives to grow the professional sport industry worldwide.

As part of its mission to empower and connect people through sport, Rakuten will continue to support the sports industry through innovative partnerships that contribute to the further development of the world of sports.

The Golden State Warriors, currently playing in their 76^th season, are a charter member of the National Basketball Association. Founded in 1946 as the Philadelphia Warriors, the team moved to the West Coast in 1962 and spent nine seasons as the San Francisco Warriors before moving across the Bay to Oakland in 1971 and becoming the Golden State Warriors. In 2019, the Warriors returned to San Francisco to play at Chase Center, a privately financed, state-of-the-art 18,064-seat arena in the Mission Bay neighborhood. The team’s storied history includes six NBA Championships, 11 NBA Finals appearances, an NBA-record 73-win season, eight members of the NBA’s 75^th Anniversary Team, and 27 members of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. For more information on the Golden State Warriors, please visit warriors.com.

Based in Singapore, Rakuten Sports is a Rakuten Group service that focuses on creating partnerships built on shared values with professional sports teams, athletes, brands and rights-holders. For more information visit https://biz.sports.rakuten.net/