TBT’s partnership with 99designs by Vistaprint allows teams to enhance their operations with new branding and marketing tools

The Basketball Tournament (TBT), a 64-team, $1 million winner-take-all event televised live on ESPN, today announced that 99designs by Vistaprint will serve as the event’s official Design and Marketing Partner for 2021.

99designs by Vistaprint will offer a wide array of design and branding opportunities for TBT’s franchises, giving all teams competing in the event the necessary tools to build and improve upon their business operations. General managers will work closely with Vistaprint marketing experts to help cultivate team identities, utilizing 99designs by Vistaprint’s global design community to create custom logos that will be prominently displayed during the broadcast of teams’ games, on all merchandising opportunities, and on the teams’ webpage. TBT teams will also have the ability to consult with Vistaprint on marketing strategies, creating tailor-made plans to help each franchise better promote themselves as they compete on a national stage.

"When we dreamed up TBT ten years ago, one of our first initiatives was getting a logo from 99designs," said TBT Founder and CEO Jon Mugar. "It's a great resource for small businesses and we know it will be a valuable one for our teams. TBT is a 365-day-a-year journey for many of our general managers, and this partnership with 99designs by Vistaprint will give them many tools as they build their franchises from the ground up."

“Basketball and great branding are almost synonymous,” said Patrick Llewellyn, CEO of 99designs by Vistaprint. “Iconic logos have played a huge role in turning basketball into the cultural phenomenon it is today. That’s why combining the transformative power of great design from our creative community with the passion of TBT’s teams has been so exciting to watch unfold.”

More than 30 teams have already consulted with 99designs by Vistaprint on design related ideas, using the tools given to them to help grow their franchises by launching successful online stores with freshly branded merchandise. You can see all the new and refreshed TBT team logos at www.99designs.com/thebasketballtournament.

“After several years of running the Golden Eagles, we felt as though we needed a fresh approach to the branding of the team” said general manager Dan Fitzgerald of the 2020 TBT champion Golden Eagles. “TBT consulted with 99designs by Vistaprint, and they helped us develop a logo that better suited the identity that we want for the franchise going forward. Along with the marketing advice they provided, we’re really excited to continue to grow the Golden Eagles brand as we usher in a new era for the team.”

TBT will compete in five cities throughout the U.S. this summer, starting July 16 and culminating in a $1 million winner-take-all championship game on August 3. 99designs by Vistaprint will also enhance the in-game experience by providing custom lanyards, stickers, pop-up displays and other promotional signage on-site for fans attending games.

All TBT games can be seen on the ESPN networks, and 99designs by Vistaprint will have multiple in-broadcast features throughout TBT’s record 50 hours of linear television coverage.

About The Basketball Tournament

The original home of the Elam Ending, The Basketball Tournament has grown from a unique idea among friends to one of the most exciting and engaging events on the summer sports calendar, with national exposure on ESPN, social media buzz and regional championships across the country - culminating in a winner-take-all $1 million game. Every year it attracts some of the best players in the world. For more information on TBT’s eighth season, visit www.thetournament.com

About 99designs by Vistaprint

With a worldwide community of more than 150,000 talented freelance designers, 99designs by Vistaprint™ is the global creative platform that makes it easy for small businesses to work with creative experts and build their brand through custom, memorable design.

About Vistaprint

Vistaprint is the marketing and design partner to millions of small businesses around the world, empowering each one to live their dreams. For more than 20 years, we have helped small businesses look and feel credible through high-quality marketing products and solutions that include signage, logo apparel, promotional products, face masks, flyers, postcards, business cards, websites and digital marketing. With Vistaprint, small businesses are able to create and customize their marketing with easy-to-use digital tools and design templates, or by receiving expert graphic design support. In 2020, Vistaprint acquired 99designs to expand its design offering via a worldwide community of more than 150,000 talented freelance designers to make it easy for designers and clients to work together to create designs they love. Vistaprint is focused on making great marketing and design accessible to every small business owner, allowing them to create a cohesive brand image for use in-store, online and on-the-go. To learn more, visit: www.vistaprint.com. Vistaprint is a Cimpress company (Nasdaq: CMPR).

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