Spurs net new sponsorship deal with a low-cost Mexican airline
The San Antonio Spurs said Friday it has a sponsorship deal with low-cost Mexican airline Viva Aerobus, part of the team’s strategy to expand its fan base in Mexico.
Viva operates routes from San Antonio International Airport to Mexico City, Monterrey and León. An Airbus A320 plane wrapped with the Spurs’ logo and colors will begin flying this spring.
Viva’s logo will be on Spurs ads and signage at the AT&T
Center during the team’s home games starting this season, and the carrier also will be mentioned in Spanish-language radio promotions.
Viva and the NBA team will promote the sponsorship — Viva’s first with a U.S. professional sports team — on social media.
“We really tried to define some specific initiatives and building our Mexican fan base and growing on the culture that we share,” said R.C. Buford, CEO of Spurs Sports & Entertainment.
“We’ve played in Mexico several times before,” he said. “We’re looking forward to playing again there soon. So the opportunity to share that, have our fans be able to come back and forth to Spurs games on both sides of the border will be really exciting.”
There are 5 million Spurs fans living in Mexico, and nearly half reside in Monterrey and Mexico City, according to Yougov, a London-based research data and analytics company.
The Spurs are looking for similar partnerships, Buford said, and the entire league is focused on building an international fan base. The team has had numerous international players on its roster and San Antonio is close to Mexico, “so it just makes sense for us,” he said.
San Antonio is a popular destination for Mexican travelers vacationing and visiting friends and family, as well as attending Spurs games, said Juan Carlos Zuazua, Viva CEO.
“We are committed to continue developing this connectivity in San Antonio,” he said.