SM seals breakthrough partnership with NBA

MANILA, Philippines - SM Investments Corp. (SM) is making history with the legacy partnership with the National Basketball Association with the holding of the first-ever pre-season NBA game pitting the Indiana Pacers and Houston Rockets.

SM’s extensive market reach, world class facilities, and strong drive to bring renowned sports activities into the country led the NBA to partner with the company to make the Mall of Asia Arena a venue for local NBA events.

NBA executives took into consideration SM’s equities and platforms within the MOA complex that they find essential especially for its delegates: retail, cinemas, and real estate property. The location is also near hotels, the international airport, and Manila’s tourist attractions.

According to West Avenue Theatres Corp. (WATC) senior vice president Edgar Tejerero, the talks about a possible partnership with the NBA already happened even before the Arena was being built in 2010. WATC manages the MOA Arena, SM Cinema, SM Tickets, Snack Time and e-Plus.

As early as the first week of September, tickets were almost sold out for the game, setting the stage for more games and related events in the future.

Franchise stars like Paul George and George Hill of the Pacers, as well as Jeremy Lin and Dwight Howard of the Rockets are all expected to rake in ticket sales for the MOA Arena.

With a seating capacity of 15,000, local and foreign event organizers have placed the MOA Arena as a preferred venue on their list. This crowd capacity can even extend up to 20,000 because of the dedicated platforms placed in every section for standing customers.