Marriott International announced Thursday that it has extended its partnership with the National Basketball Association (NBA).
The Bethesda, Maryland-based hotel company first partnered with the league last summer.
The partnership extension will make Marriott the official hotel company of a handful of upcoming NBA events and also makes it an official partner of USA Basketball ahead of next month's Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.
The announcement will be welcome news for basketball fans currently participating in Marriott's loyalty rewards program.
As part of the extended partnership, Marriott will enhance its recently-launched Experiences Marketplace for Marriott Rewards members. That means eligible members will be able to redeem their reward points for exclusive NBA and USA Basketball experiences at select NBA and USA Basketball events.
Events will include NBA House Rio, NBA Global Games, NBA All-Star, and the 2016 USA Basketball Showcase. There, members will have access to legend and player meet-and-greets, exclusive receptions and will even be able to serve as ball boys and ball girls during games.
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In addition to the Experiences Marketplace offerings, Marriott will generate custom NBA- and USA Basketball-themed content across its various social media channels.
"This partnership with the NBA is an amazing opportunity for us to provide our Marriott Rewards members and hotel guests who are passionate about basketball with enriching and exclusive experiences," said Marriott's Global Marketing Officer Karin Timpone in a statement accompanying Thursday's announcement.
"The NBA is widely popular around the globe and is a perfect partner to showcase our portfolio to current and future Marriott Rewards members for several years to come," added Timpone.
"With our new expanded partnership, they're [Marriott] raising the bar and extending the reach of our partnership to more programs, and even more fans, around the world," said Emilio Collins, NBA Executive Vice President, Global Marketing Partnerships, in a statement.
The partnership extension comes as Marriott prepares to complete its pending acquisition of Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide in a merger that will form the world's largest hotel company.
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