Hawks partner with online payment system, Paze, for new jersey patch

The Hawks’ jerseys will look a little different this season. On Monday, the Hawks announced that they had a new partner for a new patch on their jerseys.

Paze is an online checkout solution developed by Early Warning Services and offered by participating banks and credit unions. It allows consumers to shop online with their preferred credit and debit cards via added security using tokenization. Now, consumers won’t have to worry about their actual card numbers being shared with merchants.

As of September 2024, Paze is supported by most major U.S. banks.

“It was really about aligning with the right type of company,” Hawks and State Farm Arena Chief Commercial Officer and President of Business Enterprise Andrew Saltzman said.

“And when we started our conversations with Paze, it very quickly felt right and that this was a company that is aligned with values, with what they’re trying to do, around innovation, around security and around creating a frictionless fan experience. So, we were really excited about what we could do together. And we worked on it really quickly. And again, we’re thrilled that Paze will be emblazoned on Hawks jerseys for the next five years.”

Paze will also serve as the official online checkout partner and digital wallet of the Hawks and State Farm Arena, along with serving as the team’s jersey patch partner.

For Paze, the opportunity to join forces with the Hawks came at an eventful time. The Hawks added several high-profile free agents to the roster. Public expectations for the Hawks have risen, with national analysts projecting the team to finish in the top six in the Eastern Conference at the end of the regular season.

“When you have a fan base and a community in Atlanta that puts their trust in the Hawks as their basketball team to go out and hopefully win that championship, right, that’s where we’re coming in,” Paze general manager Serge Elkiner said. “And we want to be part of the story. We want to be woven in the story, literally and figuratively, right in the uniform to be there when that happened. And so, when the fan sees that, of course, we want them to remember where they saw Paze.”

The collaboration will feature “Hawks Elite” presented by Paze. It is made up of a network designated exclusively for Atlanta Hawks business members.

Per a release from the Hawks, the program “brings together business members, corporate partners, and prospects for exclusive events aimed at building connections and fostering stronger relationships through natural introductions and shared experiences.”

The partnership will be on full display at the Hawks’ Nov. 8 game against the Lakers at State Farm Arena. Fans will see Paze branding mixed into the game experience.