IONOS goes cortside – The recently started partnership between Europe’s leading basketball league acb and the leading digitalization partner for SMEs promises an exciting future for both sides.
In this interview, acb Brand Director, Ricardo de Diego, introduces the Spanish league and its unique characteristics. He also shares his insights and vision for the future of the sponsorship.
For those who aren’t familiar with the acb league, can you briefly introduce the association and your work?
Asociacion de Clubes de Baloncesto (acb) is the organization responsible for overseeing professional basketball club competitions in Spain, including Liga Endesa, Copa del Rey, and Supercopa Endesa. Our league is widely regarded as the most prestigious national competition in the world right after the NBA, with very good rosters, star players, strong competition, and a high level of fan engagement in the arenas, social and mainstream media. Currently, Liga Endesa is broadcasted or streamed live in more than 150 countries around the world.
As for my role, I joined acb in 2018 as the Head of Brand. In this capacity, I lead various initiatives, including marketing, events, and sponsorships, among other projects.
What makes the Liga Endesa the most successful basketball league in Europe?
Our clubs have done a great job of building strong sports organizations, improving their budget and their reach in their territories, which has led to a stronger fan base and better rosters. Also, they have put a lot of effort into developing talent in their young teams, helping Spanish basketball develop to a worldwide reference, both at club and National Team level. Currently, all our clubs have strong teams and can fight for any European title, and all our games are way more than a basketball match – show and entertainment are guaranteed.
Why did you choose IONOS as your new partner?
The most important thing is that we share a common interest. We want to work with brands that get involved and help us improve our league, and IONOS is definitely committed to that. From the very first moment we saw that IONOS is interested in growing together with us, it was a sure match.
How do basketball and hosting services fit together?
They fit together quite naturally, actually. Basketball is a data-driven sport that uses a lot of technology and requires real-time analytics in every aspect of our business. Engaging fans and providing them with solutions to improve their experience is also a must for both of our services, too.
What are the common values and goals of the acb and IONOS?
We find that IONOS is a perfect match in our constant pursuit of innovation and high level performance. We‚re both fans/customer centric. They are the key to everything we do.
What are the common missions and visions of IONOS and Liga acb?
First of all, we share a common goal: growing together through this three-year sponsorship deal. Together we are trying to reach more fans and engage them with interesting content that they can appreciate.
What are your expectations from IONOS regarding the partnership?
Expectations are always high. We have just started working and with three seasons ahead of us, we can already see a huge benefit in building things together with IONOS. It is a very active and collaborative company that has common goals with us.
What are the future plans with IONOS as a sponsoring partner?
Time will tell, but we have had a strong start to the three year partnership and we all hope that this is just the beginning of a successful long-term relationship.