Coca-Cola, NBA extend Sprite partnership

Coca-Cola Co., which for years implored basketball fans to "obey your thirst" and drink Sprite, has extended the brand's longstanding partnership with the NBA.

The company is entering its 25th year of teaming up with the NBA to promote several different brands. The extended partnership will run through 2014.

For the first time, Sprite will be the company's lead brand associated with the NBA around the world. Previously, it headlined the partnership in some markets and the Coca-Cola brand did so in others, most notably China.

"The NBA has been a great fit for Sprite for a long time," said Ellen Lucey, director of sports marketing for Coca-Cola NorthAmerica. "It's a team sport, but the players play withsome self-expression. It matches up very well with Sprite."

Sprite, one of the company's biggest brands, is riding a winning streak. It recently posted its third consecutive quarter of growth in North America, with sales rising four percent in the fourth quarter and two percent for the full year.

Meanwhile, the NBA is on track to post its best ratings ever, with viewership up by double-digit percentages. The NBA's other global partnerships include Nike, Adidas, Spalding and Anheuser-Busch.

"We're really experiencing a tremendous growth," said Mark Tatum, the NBA's executive vice president of global marketing partnerships. "In every market, we have these fantastic story lines."