The NBA and Sports Crate team up for subscription service NBA Courtside Crate

Photo: Sports Crate 

The latest subscription service comes from the hands of Sports Crate, a division of Loot Crate, the leading fan-commerce and community platform. The company has teamed up with the NBA and launched a new subscription box service for basketball fans called NBA Courtside Crate. 

On a bi-monthly basis, the company will deliver “crates” (boxes) filled with team-specific products, merchandise, and “experiences” to the doorsteps of subscribers.  The exact contents of the “crates” will be a surprise with the exception of “hero” products.  These products are exclusive and revealed in advance. For a example, the first "hero" product that will be sent out to subscribers are exclusive Mitchell & Ness snapbacks. In addition to Mitchell & Ness, brands like New Era, 47 Brand, Stance, and Tervis will be featured throughout the year. 

Photo: Sports Crate 

Currently, the company offers three different subscription plans: 

• Bi-monthly subscription ($29.99 per crate)
• Bi-annual subscription ($28.50 per crate, two crates per year)
• Yearly subscription ($27 per a crate, six crates per year)

Yearly subscribers will get special discounts on limited player crates and will be automatically entered for a chance to win exclusive premium team merchandise from partner brands while all subscription plans give subscribers the option for a free Sports Illustrated annual subscription.

At launch, the company has already teamed up with 13 teams including the Boston Celtics, Chicago Bulls, Cleveland Cavaliers, Golden State Warriors, Houston Rockets, Los Angeles Clippers, Los Angeles Lakers, Miami Heat, Minnesota Timberwolves, New York Knicks, Oklahoma City Thunder, Philadelphia 76ers, and San Antonio Spurs. More teams will be added on a rolling basis. 

To sign-up for Sports Crate, head over to their website. 

The subscription business model has been a popular one as of recent.  Over the last few months, a number of companies such as Porsche and Under Armour have gotten in on the action and launched services based on this model in hopes of expanding their business. Porsche recently introduced Porsche Passport, a car subscription program that gives users access to a host of sports cars and SUVs at their demand while Under Armour recently rolled out ArmourBox,  a monthly personalized subscription box featuring the latest gear by the Balitmore-based sports apparel company. 

If 2017 is a benchmark, it doesn't look like the subscription business model is going anywhere. Expect new companies that utilize this model to continue to launch and established companies to incorporate this model to expand their business.

SOURCE: Sports Crate