Success in Rakuten Sports
Rakuten Sports
The NBA Japan Games 2022 presented by Rakuten & Nissan held in September and October last year exemplified the success of Rakuten Sports, seeing sold-out crowds of fans over the three-day period. Our belief in sports having the power to bring people together and unite the world has been a critical driving force behind our accomplishments.
In this feature, we connected with Joseph Lee, our Business Development Manager, where he shared with us his insights on the continued success of Rakuten Sports.
How has the basketball scene in Japan changed since Rakuten’s partnership with the NBA?
In 2017, the NBA and Rakuten announced a groundbreaking partnership that made Rakuten a global marketing partner of the NBA and the league’s exclusive live-game distribution partner in Japan. NBA Rakuten, the one-stop destination for fans in Japan to watch NBA games and programming, currently offers viewers exclusive access to the 2022-23 NBA season. Throughout this partnership, the basketball scene has expanded tremendously – from watching the games live on NBA Rakuten to watching games in person in 2019 and again in 2022. Rakuten’s involvement with the NBA has allowed fans in Japan to immerse themselves in various cultures, including music and entertainment.
What were some of the key steps that Rakuten has taken to see such a monumental jump in the span of a few years?
We took a three-fold approach – integrated diverse cultures, increased relatability and created unique experiences. It was vital for us to create cultural exchanges amongst the athletes and to integrate them into our culture. One example was the cultural exchanges between the NBA athletes and sumo wrestlers during a preseason practice in Tokyo last September. The NBA athletes were also introduced to the local culture – both food and entertainment – to enhance their cultural immersion with us. These experiences allowed the team to assimilate seamlessly into our culture.
With the expansion of the NBA in Japan, we needed to generate localized content for more relatability. NBA Rakuten provides live Japanese language commentary and colorcasting for more inclusivity. On top of that, we were keen on highlighting the affinity between Japanese fans and the teams. We conversed with fans to know the reasons for their continued support and some of their more memorable moments.
Lastly, to complete the unique experience, it was essential to create physical interactions between our fans and players. Fans could experience the games in person and, at times, even get up close and personal with the teams.
Rakuten has been the official jersey partner of the Golden State Warriors since 2017, and Stephen Curry was named Global Brand Ambassador of Rakuten in January 2019. What drives the success of these partnerships?
With both the Golden State Warriors and Stephen Curry, their values significantly aligned with ours.
The seven-time NBA champion Warriors won their fourth NBA championship in the last eight years last season. NBA Most Valuable Player and 2022 Bill Russell NBA Finals MVP Stephen Curry’s work rate and achievements mirror our intentions – empowering the next generation of talents. Moreover, many of their attributes also reflected that the DNA of Rakuten and Golden State Warriors were synonymous.
As with any partnership, our values need to be aligned in order to accomplish our goals. The ability of Rakuten and teams or individuals to integrate seamlessly with one another plays a crucial role in driving success in the partnership.