Kia Motors America and NBA Form Wide-Reaching Marketing Partnership

Kia Motors America and NBA Form Wide-Reaching Marketing Partnership

		Kia CEO Len Hunt & NBA Commissioner Stern - Kia is Official Automotive Partner of the NBA (PRNewsFoto/Kia Motors America, Inc.) DETROIT, MI UNITED STATES

		Kia becomes Official Automotive Partner of the NBA & presents NBA Performance Awards (PRNewsFoto/Kia Motors America, Inc.) DETROIT, MI UNITED STATES

- Kia Motors to Become Official Automotive Partner of the NBA and Present New NBA Performance Awards - DETROIT, Jan. 13 /PRNewswire/ -- Kia Motors America, Inc. (KMA) and the National Basketball Association (NBA) announced a new multi-year marketing partnership that includes designating Kia as the Official Automotive Partner of the NBA. This marks the first time Kia Motors America has entered into a multi-year marketing partnership with any sports league. (Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080113/CLSU025-a ) (Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080113/CLSU025-b ) "The NBA thrives on the passion of its teams, players and fans and at Kia we understand how important passion is to building a brand," said Len Hunt, President and CEO, Kia Motors America. "Serving as the Official Automotive Partner of the NBA will allow us to tap into the energy and excitement of the game and help drive the fans' passion for the Kia brand." Through this wide-reaching partnership, Kia Motors will present a new series of on-court performance awards that include four of the NBA's most prestigious year-end honors. The awards, which include the Most Valuable Player Award, Defensive Player of the Year, Sixth Man Award, and Most Improved Player, will be grouped together into a single series called "The NBA Performance Awards Presented by Kia." As part of its support of the Performance Awards, Kia Motors will donate a brand-new 2009 Kia Borrego seven- passenger SUV to the charity of choice of each of the four year-end award winners in 2008. Along with the year-end awards, "The NBA Performance Awards Presented by Kia" also includes the Eastern Conference and Western Conference Player of the Month Awards. "Our partnership with Kia is a natural fit given their youthful, dynamic and energetic brand," said NBA Commissioner David Stern. "This partnership will link Kia to some of the greatest performances in NBA history and will recognize the players who set the standards for excellence in our game." Along with its support of "The NBA Performance Awards Presented by Kia," the automaker will conduct promotions around the NBA Playoffs, The Finals, and the NBA Draft. Kia is the new co-presenting partner of NBA Nation, a mobile customized 18-wheel vehicle that transforms into a 30,000 square-foot fan- focused basketball playground. Next fall, Kia will play a significant role in the opening of the 2008-09 NBA season as the presenting partner of NBA Tip-Off Week. Kia will be prominently featured throughout the NBA's opening week via fan events, promotions and in local and national NBA game broadcasts. The deal was negotiated on behalf of Kia Motors America by IMG, Kia's sport marketing agency, who has been working with the automaker to develop Kia's national sports platform and NBA team and league strategy and activations. Kia also has partnerships with 16 NBA teams. Kia Motors America President and CEO Len Hunt, NBA Commissioner David Stern and NBA Legends Willis Reed (MVP '70), Bill Walton (MVP '78, Sixth Man '86), Jalen Rose (Most Improved '00) and Mark Eaton (Defensive Player of the Year '85 and '89) made the announcement January 10, 2008 at the NBA Store on Fifth Avenue in New York. About Kia Motors America Kia Motors America (KMA) is the sales, marketing and distribution arm of Kia Motors Corporation based in Seoul, South Korea. KMA offers a complete line of vehicles through more than 640 dealers throughout the United States. For 2007, KMA recorded its 14th consecutive year of record U.S. sales. Kia Motors subscribes to a philosophy of building high value, high quality, safe and fun-to-drive vehicles. Kia Motors prides itself on producing vehicles that are exciting and enabling and evoke the Kia tagline "The Power to Surprise." Kia Motors America is the "Official Automotive Partner of the NBA." Information about Kia Motors America and its full vehicle line-up is available at its Web site -- http://www.kia.com. For media information, including photography, visit http://www.kiamedia.com. About the NBA The NBA, founded in 1946, is a global sports and entertainment brand that features 30 teams in the United States and Canada. During the 2007-08 season, the NBA will distribute games and programming to 215 countries and territories in 41 languages. The league's worldwide reach can also be seen with 76 international players from 30 countries and territories on NBA rosters. Domestically, the NBA broadcasted 142 games on national television last season on ABC, TNT, ESPN and ESPN2, and eclipsed attendance records for the fourth consecutive season. NBA TV, launched in 1999 as the first 24-hour television channel created and operated by a professional sports league, is distributed to 80 countries. NBA merchandise is sold in more than 100,000 stores in 100 countries on six continents; NBA.com gets more than half of its visitors from outside the United States.