Zenni Optical Partnering With 'Iconic' Chicago Bulls
*By Michael Teich*
The legendary Michael Jordan and his six NBA championship rings turned the Chicago Bulls into an iconic brand in the 1990s, but dynamic content paired with exciting new talent will power the brand in a post-Jordan era, said the team's VP of business strategy and analytics Matt Kobe.
"Jordan and the 90s Bulls did a lot for our brand globally," Kobe said Friday in an interview on Cheddar. But "two years ago we won social media team of the year with the SportsBusiness Journal Awards. We won that not because of our content from the court, it was the content with our sponsors."
Warby Parker rival Zenni Optical is betting that an affiliation with the Chicago Bulls brand will help the eyewear company achieve international growth.
While Chicago is a vital demographic for Zenni, the opportunity transcends state lines, Kobe said.
"Chicago is obviously the #3 media market in the country, we have over 1 million customers in that market already," Kobe said. "But the Bulls brand is iconic and global. And it's an opportunity to introduce the Zenni offering not only domestically, but internationally."
The Chicago Bulls are the 26th NBA team to ink a deal with a sponsor for jersey patch space. The league is in its second season of a three-year jersey patch pilot program. The only remaining teams without a deal are the Indiana Pacers, the Oklahoma City Thunder, and the Washington Wizards.
Kobe declined to comment on the financial terms of the deal.
With a $2.6 billion valuation, according to Forbes, the Chicago Bulls are the fourth most valuable franchise in the NBA. The team trails only the New York Knicks, the Los Angeles Lakers, and the Golden State Warriors.
For full interview [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/chicago-bulls-ink-jersey-patch-deal-with-zenni-optical).
Carlo and Baker cover the latest developments after a devastating tornado outbreak over the weekend, plus an eye on Omicron and inflation, and not even Spielberg can save the box office.
Carlo's joined by a quarantining Baker to discuss the headlines from the weekend as Omicron spreads like wildfire, Manchin kills Biden's signature bill and Spider-Man throws a lifeline to the box office.
Cheddar has been covering the biggest news of the week with some of the biggest names in the biz. In case you missed it, we've pulled together some of the highlights that will keep you informed as we get ready for the week ahead.
Chalkboard is the first platform for sports bettors fueled by real betting data with a unique social platform that provides seamless real-time bet tracking, score updates, and social interaction between sports fans. Ted Mauze, co-founder & CEO of Chalkboard, and Saniyah Lawson, NBA sports betting influencer & Chalkboard NBA community manager, join Cheddar News.
Sports streaming giants, such as Disney Plus and ESPN, have expressed interest and intent in adding sports betting features to their platform. As sports betting has increasingly become more mainstream, it's no surprise that businesses want to get in on the benefits these betting features have to offer. Alan Wolk, the co-founder of TVREV, joins Cheddar News.
Cheddar senior reporter Michelle Castillo dives into the aftermath of what the NCAA's changing stance on student-athletes profiting off of their name, image, and likeness.
Major League Baseball plunged into its first work stoppage in a quarter-century when the sport’s collective bargaining agreement expired and owners immediately locked out players in a move that threatens spring training and opening day.
