The social network company Bumble, known for its dating app where women control the dialogue by messaging first, has reportedly agreed to a three-year, $20 million deal to place its logo on the uniform of the Los Angeles Clippers, according to Scott Soshnick of Bloomberg.
The team dubbed the partnership “more than a patch,” emphasizing a commitment to gender equality:
This partnership is more than a patch.
Proud to stand with @Bumble for diversity and gender equality.
We are #StrongerWithHer.For more info, please visit: https://t.co/1CRln6I2Xk pic.twitter.com/S7hHUk8ek3
— LA Clippers (@LAClippers) March 6, 2018
Per ESPN‘s Darren Rovell:
“We wanted to do something where we could really stand out and do something meaningful,” Clippers owner Steve Ballmer said. “The way it is positioned it becomes part of the game, so it’s an opportunity to have more meaning for everybody.”
…
“If all you are doing is selling ad space, that’s not a bad thing,” Ballmer said. “But if we are going a step further and building joint experiences with our sponsors that allow us to bring alive what we do and they do, you can’t do better than that.”
Whitney Wolfe Herd, the founder and CEO of Bumble, was drawn to the franchise’s investment in gender diversity.
Clippers’ president of business operations Gillian Zucker is the only female to hold that job in the NBA, and several other leadership positions within the organization are occupied by women.
Photo via Clippers.
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