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- By Tribal Business News Staff
- Economic Development
The Paskenta Band of Nomlaki Indians’ Mad River Brewery has struck a new partnership with the Sacramento Kings ahead of the 2024-2025 National Basketball Association season.
Under the new partnership, the Native-owned brewery’s products will be present for in-game promotions and theme nights, concerts, and special sampling events. The craft beer brand will also be highlighted with in-arena signage for Kings games.
“A partnership with the Sacramento Kings is a natural fit…craft beer has so much history in Northern California, and partnering with a local team with a massive platform is a key part in sharing our craft,” said Linda Cooley, general manager for the brewery, in a statement. “It is inspiring, working with partners who understand our vision and are excited about what we are doing to transform craft beer and sports.”
The collaboration isn’t the first for the Mad River beer brand and a pro sports team. In 2022, the brewery launched a partnership between Mad River and the San Francisco Giants professional baseball team.
The new partnership with the Kings is the first, though, for Mad River since it was acquired from the Yurok Tribe earlier this year. The operation joined the Paskenta Brewery and Distillery in expanding the Paskenta Band’s footprint in California alcohol, per prior Tribal Business News reporting. In addition to its partnerships with sports teams, Paskenta Mad River’s past collaborators include the Iowa Tribe and California State Parks Department.
The Sacramento Kings partnership is another example of a recent spate of high-profile associations between Native-owned businesses, many of them gaming operations, and sports teams. Tribal Business News recently reported on similar partnerships between the San Francisco 49ers and the Yocha Wintun Dehe Nation, as well as between the Pechanga Band and LA Clippers.
That prior reporting lists brand recognition, increased customer loyalty, and increased visibility for Native American culture as typical benefits of these partnerships. Paskenta Nomlaki chairman Andrew Alejandre pointed to visibility as a particular advantage in his statement on Mad Brewery’s announcement.
“We are thrilled to partner with the Kings, elevating Indigenous visibility and opportunity,” said Tribal Chairman Andrew “Dru” Alejandre. “This partnership highlights the forward progress we are making, in Indian Country and beyond.”
