New York Knicks and MSC Cruises Partner on Multi-Year Marketing Plan

The NBA’s New York Knicks and MSC Cruises are now partners.

Madison Square Garden Sports Corp. (MSG), which owns the Knicks, announced today that MSC is now the team’s official cruise line partner, the first global rights marketing partner for the Knicks.

The deal gets MSC promotion during Knicks home games, including LED signage, virtual-on-court signage, and the opportunity to serve as the presenting partner during in-game t-shirt tosses. MSC will use its resources in Europe to help the Knicks create new activation in overseas markets, possibly including Italy, Germany, England, and Brazil.

The two will also partner on a sustainability initiative that will provide a donation to an Ocean Conservation Cause for every three-pointer the Knicks make this season.  

In a statement, MSG president and COO said that MSC, as one of the world’s “top-rated contemporary cruise lines,” was a perfect addition to the company’s group of managing partners.

Rubén A. Rodríguez, the president of MSC Cruises USA, said the partnership “is symbolic of our overall commitment to New York City with the upcoming launch of year-round cruises from the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal on board MSC Meraviglia.”

With the news, MSC’s connection to New York City is growing deeper. Late last year, the cruise line welcomed its newest ship, MSC Seascape, to its Manhattan fleet and plans to permanently homeport MSC Meraviglia in the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal starting in April 2023.

During that time, MSC will also bring a Jr. Knicks clinic onboard MSC Meraviglia during its inaugural call at the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal this spring, where participants will get to take part in some drills and skills training on the ship’s baseball court.  

MSC is not the first cruise line with connections to an NBA team. The Miami Heat, another one of the sport’s iconic franchises, has been owned by Micky Arison, the chairman of Carnival Corporation, since 1995.