NBA shoots for edible team logos

The National Basketball Association has found a new way to get fans hungry for some hoops —
put logos on food, the part that you eat.

How about a pizza emblazoned with the Trailblazers logo? Or some hot toast that says Miami Heat?

The NBA recently signed licensing deals with a handful of companies that offer these types of food items – as well as logo-adorned outdoor grills and headphones, among other stuff.

Here’s an example of what you could get, courtesy of USA Today:

From USA Today:

With sports licensing hit by the recession, major pro leagues and licensees are rolling out creative deals to attract new fans, particularly more women and teens. Retail sales of licensed merchandise fell 17% last year in the U.S. and Canada, estimates Ira Mayer, publisher of The Licensing Letter.
NBA executives say global merchandise sales will reach $3 billion this year, up slightly.
“It’s still tough times out there,” says Mayer. “This is not going to make up for the overall loss in the apparel business.”

The edible NBA logos on the pizzas are made from sugar, starch and food coloring. They’ll be sold to pizza parlors across the U.S. But it’ll add about $5 to the price of pizza. Would you buy it?

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