College Basketball Preseason Showdown presented by NBRPA and benefiting the McLendon Foundation continues the experience in 2023
National Basketball Retired Players Association (NBRPA), the McLendon Foundation and iNDEMAND conducted a successful, inaugural charity exhibition Legends of Basketball Classic via the 2022 college basketball preseason game between Gonzaga and Tennessee resulting in plans to extend the partnership through 2023. The preseason top-15 ranked programs played at Comerica Center in Frisco, Texas where the Vols defeated the Zags 99-80. The Sports Techie community blog hopes you enjoyed directly streaming the exciting men’s D1 matchup using iNDEMAND’s pay-per-view platform to your preferred digital device helping to make the new sport business model a success. As part of the joint announcement today, Intersport will continue to lead the event operation and has begun the team recruitment and venue selection process for next season as well as reviewing opportunities for expansion of the concept. The suggested retail price of $9.99 seemed to be a very acceptable price point for fans to purchase the industry-changing, live stream announcing the start of the 2022/23 college basketball season.
Intersport
Since 1985, Intersport has been an award-winning innovator and leader in the creation of sports, lifestyle, culinary and entertainment-based marketing platforms. With expertise in Sponsorship Consulting, Experiential Marketing, Hospitality, Retail Engagement, Content Marketing, Productions and Property Creation, this Chicago-based Marketing & Media Solutions Company helps its clients engage consumers with compelling ideas, content and experiences.
“As we collectively evaluated this inaugural event, it became clear fairly quickly that we were all interested in pursuing a second edition of the event,” said Mark Starsiak, vice president at Intersport. “From the intense on-court experience that is sometimes atypical of preseason games to the well-received nature of the broadcast on PPV.COM and cable and satellite, the important visibility for our partners at the NBRPA and the charitable contribution to the McLendon Foundation, everyone involved benefitted from this experience. We’re eager to build off the success of this inaugural event and are aiming even higher in 2023.”
iNDEMAND
The game was the first-ever national telecast of major college basketball on iNDEMAND’s pay-per-view platform and introduced a new model for raising charitable funds and signaling the fast-approaching start of the college basketball season.
“The event blew away all our expectations; we knew it would do well, but the performance even surprised us,” Mark Boccardi, SVP Programming & Marketing for iNDEMAND & PPV.COM, said. “I think we have found the formula for a successful ongoing PPV event and we can’t wait for the next one. We are thrilled with the role we played in raising money for the McLendon Foundation.”
iNDEMAND is an innovative partnership between three of the leading cable companies in the U.S.—Charter Communications, Comcast Cable, and Cox Communications. iNDEMAND is the largest distributor of PPV and on demand programming in North America and served as the exclusive streaming and TV distributor of the event via its streaming service PPV.COM and cable TV. iNDEMAND delivers great content to more than 80 million cable homes and has distribution deals with more than 150 companies.
McLendon Foundation
The McLendon Foundation, established in 1999, is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization founded and administered by NACDA. It provides minorities educational resources, practical experiences and serves as a vehicle for networking, career advancement and advocacy on behalf of the profession through the scholarship program and leadership initiative.
“The McLendon Foundation was thrilled to be the beneficiary of the inaugural Legends of Basketball Classic,” NACDA Vice President and McLendon Foundation Director Adrien Harraway said. “The Foundation’s mission to provide access and opportunity to minorities pursuing careers in the sports space and this was a perfect opportunity to introduce the McLendon Foundation to a new audience. The atmosphere and enthusiasm in-venue was incredible.”
NBRPA
The National Basketball Retired Players Association (NBRPA) is comprised of former professional basketball players from the NBA, ABA, and WNBA. The 501(c) 3 organization has a mission to develop, implement and advocate a wide array of programs to benefit its members, supporters and the community.
“We are incredibly proud of the success of the inaugural Legends of Basketball Classic,” said Scott Rochelle, President & CEO, NBRPA. “This first-of-its-kind, Pay-Per-View event, allowed us to use the backdrop of a blockbuster college hoops matchup to raise funds for the McLendon Foundation, create a blueprint for philanthropy and sports business moving forward, and integrate the impact that NBRPA Legends provide. We are encouraged by the prospect of developing more of and growing these types of events in the coming years.”
Sports Techie, in December 2021, iNDEMAND launched PPV.COM, an innovative streaming PPV service and the first of its kind to offer interactive fan engagement during live-action sports. The tech company of trusted content aggregators and licensing experts, offers unparalleled technical expertise and has long-standing relationships with MVPDs, major sports leagues, Hollywood studios, and other entertainment and sports companies across North America.
The Zags and Vols Legends of Basketball Classic charity preseason game presented by the NBRPA marked a first-of-its-kind, national telecast of major college basketball via iNDEMAND’s pay-per-view platform while introducing a new model for raising charitable funds benefiting The McLendon Foundation.
The inaugural Legends of Basketball Showcase quadruple doubleheader presented by the NBRPA and Intersport is on Dec. 17 in Chicago at the United Center. Look for the Northern Iowa Panthers to take on the Towson University Tigers, while the Tulane Green Wave battle the George Mason Patriots in the two afternoon games. In the evening session, the Dayton Flyers matchup with the Wyoming Cowboys followed by the NC State Wolfpack playing against the Vanderbilt Commodores.
Visit NBRPA’s web site at www.legendsofbasketball.com to learn more about the organization’s activities.
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