SPRINGFIELD, MA – The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame announced today a new five-year partnership with Fifty-Five South Ventures as an official sponsor for several Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame initiatives. Fifty-Five South Ventures binds a number of entertainment and technology brands, including Vitalize Media Group, which will financially support the non-profit Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and its various initiatives to celebrate and preserve the game of basketball. The partnership was facilitated by Learfield IMG College, the Basketball Hall of Fame’s sports marketing partner.
“2020 is a historic year for the Hall of Fame as we will soon reveal a freshly renovated museum and perhaps our most anticipated Class of all time,” said John L. Doleva, President and CEO of the Basketball Hall of Fame. “We’re proud to welcome Fifty-Five South Ventures as a partner, to be a part of these momentous occasions and join in our mission to elevate the awards programs and events we produce annually in Springfield and around the world. ‘The Road To SPRINGFIELD’ is a thrilling one, and we’re excited to have the tremendous support of Fifty-Five South Ventures with the Class of 2020 and beyond.”
“We are honored to be partnering with the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame,” said Bryant Clark, Founder of Fifty-Five South Ventures. “Through this relationship, we hope to elevate the Hall of Fame’s existing portfolio and provide new solutions in the areas of technology and entertainment content creation. Our goal is to become the ultimate strategic partner to promote and preserve the game of basketball at every level around the world.”
As part of the newly minted partnership, Fifty-Five South Ventures along with a select group of its portfolio companies will be supporting sponsors of the Hall of Fame's College Basketball Positional Awards, dozens of college and high school basketball events, and the Hall of Fame’s most celebrated event, Enshrinement Weekend.
As a presenting sponsor, Fifty-Five South Ventures will sponsor the Basketball Hall of Fame Class of 2020, which will be revealed on April 4th at noon ET on ESPN. Vitalize Media Group (A Fifty-Five South Ventures company) will serve as the presenting sponsor of the new Curt Gowdy Transformative Media Award. The Transformative Media Award winner, Inside the NBA, and the Class of 2020 will be honored during the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Enshrinement Weekend August 28-30, 2020. For more further details, including ticket information, visit www.hoophall.com/Enshrinement.
About Fifty-Five South Ventures
Fifty-Five South Ventures is an early stage venture capital firm focused on helping talented entrepreneurs who are ambitious and innovative, become global companies at the intersection of sports, media, entertainment and digital commerce. At Fifty-Five South Ventures we never underestimate the power of dreams and the influence of the human spirit which is why we invest capital, resources and expertise to enable our portfolio companies to scale rapidly through a powerful business development, marketing and talent platform. With our experience, networks and our position at the intersection of these various sectors, we will guide a new generation of companies that can envision their technology shaping our world. For more information, visit fiftyfivesouthventures.com
About Vitalize Media Group
Vitalize Media Group is a Texas based media and entertainment company focused on the creation, development, production, and financing of motion pictures, television, and digital media content. Currently Vitalize Media Group has a robust slate of film and television productions in development. For more information, visit www.vitalizemediagroup.com
About the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame
Located in Springfield, Massachusetts, the city where basketball was born, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame is an independent non-profit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to promoting, preserving and celebrating the game of basketball at every level – men and women, amateur and professional players, coaches and contributors, both domestically and internationally. The Hall of Fame museum is home to more than 400 inductees and over 40,000 square feet of basketball history. Nearly 200,000 people visit the Hall of Fame museum each year to learn about the game, experience the interactive exhibits and test their skills on the Jerry Colangelo "Court of Dreams." Best known for its annual marquee Enshrinement Ceremony honoring the game’s elite, the Hall of Fame also operates over 70 high school and collegiate competitions annually throughout the country and abroad. For more information on the Basketball Hall of Fame organization, its museum and events, visit www.hoophall.com, follow @hoophall or call 1-877-4HOOPLA.