Tangerine becomes major sponsor of NBL

Tangerine will become the exclusive Official Telco Sponsor and a Major Partner of the NBL this season.

In a major deal for the challenger telco, they have joined forces with the NBL to bring their simple, no-confusion internet and mobile brand to Australian basketball fans, with the partnership capturing the connection between the brands, both essential pieces of the puzzle in providing Aussies some of the best family entertainment.

Tangerine was founded in Melbourne by brothers Andy and Rich Branson (the other Richard Branson) in 2014, nbn® veterans who brought Tangerine to market with a view to offering Australians better, simpler internet. By 2021, they had the backing of the Commonwealth Bank as they grew market share across the country.

Andy and Rich now run Tangerine and are delighted to continue the legacy of easier internet for Australians – following in the footsteps of NBL Executive Chair and Owner Larry Kestelman who has helped pioneer the telco scene in Australia.

Andy says the brothers were inspired by Kestelman’s vision and work in the industry and are excited to now be aligned with the NBL in a bigger way moving forward.

“We’ve long followed Larry, as the original internet disruptor with Dodo, and then in what he and the team have achieved with the NBL, building a successful entertainment brand for families and all Aussies. Tangerine’s about giving Australians the simplest, no-fuss internet and mobile services, so they can connect to all their favourite things. And that includes the fantastic Australian sports scene; following your favourite teams and players, joining a fantasy league, streaming games and highlights, sharing sports experiences, filming your kid’s basketball team, learning how to slam dunk on YouTube... the list goes on,” CEO Andy Branson said.

“Tangerine is Melbourne-based and we love the entrepreneurial spirit here in Melbourne, where Larry was among the first – we’re loving growing Tangerine and building our presence in the world, but it’s all about giving Australians a better way to connect.

“The NBL has an impressive digital and online offering for fans, and that really resonates with us. We couldn’t be more excited to connect with the NBL to deliver exciting sports, and digital entertainment to Aussies.”

Larry Kestelman, Executive Chair and Owner of the NBL, believes Tangerine is a great fit for the NBL.

“It’s great to have Tangerine be part of the NBL family and continue that better-internet and Melbourne-entrepreneur legacy, and to connect with the NBL,” Kestelman said.
 
“It’s a full circle moment and we couldn’t be more pleased to see a new generation of successful internet entrepreneurs challenging the industry and bringing easy internet to Australians, and partnering with us to continue our aim of making the NBL the best sports entertainment league in Australia.”

Tangerine will be a leading identity across the league’s online fan engagement, game day activation and on-court activities, as well as opportunities for NBL fan engagement activities throughout the season. The Tangerine branding and mascot Peely fit right in with the NBL’s already orange branding, but don’t worry you won’t miss them!

Tangerine has continued to provide Australians with reliable and easy-to-connect data services to watch and stream the NBL, be part of online communities and give families their time back to enjoy entertainment, all driven by a simple, nimble approach to household internet connection and products.

Andy Branson points to this as a cornerstone of Tangerine’s success and notes the brand’s recent announcement that Tangerine is amongst the first to offer nbn® high-speed Fixed Wireless to key regional towns and cities across Australia.

“Regional areas more than anywhere rely on fast internet and reliable connection to overcome work, school or home business distance challenges, and of course, to watch the NBL, and historically haven’t had access to the high-speeds metro areas have had through fibre connections. We were able to bring the new nbn® high-speed Fixed Wireless tiers to those markets early thanks to our more agile operation,” Branson said.

Tangerine now offers fixed wireless nbn® high-speed plans to eligible properties in key centres such as Albury Wodonga, Ballarat, Bendigo, Bundaberg, Shepparton, Katanning, Grafton, Launceston, Mackay, Bundaberg, Horsham and Hobart, home of the defending champion Tasmania JackJumpers.

“We’re really excited to amp up our partnership with the NBL this season, and we know our customers love Australian sport, so we’re happy to play a part in delivering their sports entertainment experiences across Australia, including now a higher-speed internet experience for those supporting their teams in the regions and cities,” Branson said.

The 2024/25 Hungry Jack’s NBL Season begins in Perth with the inaugural HoopsFest from September 19-22. The season opener will be a Championship Series re-match between Melbourne United and the Tasmania JackJumpers at 8:30pm AEST at RAC Arena on Thursday, September 19.