NEW YORK – Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ: MAR) and the National Basketball Association (NBA) announced today a partnership extension that will make the global hotel company a partner of several league events, including NBA House Rio, NBA All-Star, and select NBA Global Games.  In addition, Marriott International will become an official partner of USA Basketball.

The partnership will showcase Marriott Rewards, Marriott International, Inc.’s award-winning loyalty program, by bringing the excitement of the NBA directly to its global member community as part of its new Experiences Marketplace.  Members will be able to redeem their Marriott Rewards points for exclusive NBA and USA Basketball experiences during NBA House Rio, NBA Global Games, NBA All-Star, and the 2016 USA Basketball Showcase presented by Verizon.  Experiences will include NBA and USA Basketball legend and player meet-and-greets, exclusive receptions featuring basketball-themed entertainment and giveaways, and the opportunity to serve as ball boys or ball girls during upcoming games.

Marriott will also bring fans custom NBA- and USA Basketball-themed content featuring legends and current players that will be shared across the brand’s social channels.

“This partnership with the NBA is an amazing opportunity for us to provide our Marriott Rewards members and hotel guests that are passionate about basketball with enriching and exclusive experiences,” said Karin Timpone, Global Marketing Officer, Marriott International. “The NBA is widely popular around the globe and is a perfect partner to showcase our portfolio to current and future Marriott Rewards members for several years to come.”

“Marriott has done an outstanding job of engaging their millions of global Rewards members around many of our marquee league events,” said Emilio Collins, NBA Executive Vice President, Global Marketing Partnerships.  “With our new expanded partnership, they’re raising the bar and extending the reach of our partnership to more programs, and even more fans, around the world.”

In addition to game-day Marketplace opportunities, Marriott Rewards will offer several NBA-themed sweepstakes and promotions, including a series of player meet-and-greets across its global portfolio of 19 brands.

Marriott Rewards members will continue to enjoy program benefits long after the final buzzer including Member Rates, Marriott’s lowest guaranteed rate when they book directly on Marriott channels, free Wi-Fi, mobile check-in and check-out, and at participating properties, mobile requests – all on the Marriott Mobile app.  To learn more about Marriott Rewards, visit: www.MarriottRewards.com.

About the NBA
The NBA is a global sports and media business built around three professional sports leagues: the National Basketball Association, the Women’s National Basketball Association, and the NBA Development League.  The league has established a major international presence with games and programming in 215 countries and territories in 49 languages, and NBA merchandise for sale in more than 125,000 stores in 100 countries on 6 continents.  NBA rosters at the start of the 2015-16 season featured 100 international players from 37 countries and territories.  NBA Digital’s assets include NBA.com and the NBA app, which achieved record traffic during the 2014-15 season, as well as NBA TV.  The NBA has created one of the largest social media communities in the world, with more than one billion likes and followers globally across all league, team, and player platforms.  Through NBA Cares, the league addresses important social issues by working with internationally recognized youth-serving organizations that support education, youth and family development, and health-related causes.

About Marriott International
Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ: MAR) is a global leading lodging company based in Bethesda, Maryland, USA, with nearly 4,500 properties in 87 countries and territories.  Marriott International reported revenues of more than $14 billion in fiscal year 2015. The company operates and franchises hotels and licenses vacation ownership resorts under 19 brands, including: The Ritz-Carlton®, Bulgari®, EDITION®, JW Marriott®, Autograph Collection® Hotels, Renaissance® Hotels, Marriott Hotels®, Delta Hotels and Resorts®, Marriott Executive Apartments®, Marriott Vacation Club®, Gaylord Hotels®, AC Hotels by Marriott®, Courtyard®, Residence Inn®, SpringHill Suites®, Fairfield Inn & Suites®, TownePlace Suites®, Protea Hotels® and Moxy Hotels®. Marriott has been consistently recognized as a top employer and for its superior business ethics. The company also manages the award-winning guest loyalty program, Marriott Rewards® and The Ritz-Carlton Rewards® program, which together comprise more than 56 million members.  For more information or reservations, please visit our website at www.marriott.com, and for the latest company news, visit www.marriottnewscenter.com.

About Marriott Rewards
Marriott Rewards is Marriott International’s award-winning loyalty program spanning 17 brands and 4,300 properties worldwide. Marriott Rewards is free to join and has no blackout dates and members can earn and redeem points at Marriott International properties around the world and at Marriott Rewards exclusive luxury partner The Ritz-Carlton®.  Members can also redeem points for frequent flyer miles, cruises, car rentals, merchandise and more. By making rewards accessible with a modern, easy approach, Marriott Rewards continues to be a leader in the industry. Marriott Rewards has won the Freddie Award for “Best Hotel Rewards Program in the Americas” eight years in a row and the 2011 and 2010 Frequent Travel Award for “Best Hotel Rewards Program.” In addition, the program has been named best hotel rewards program by the readers of U.S. News & World Report, About.com, Business Traveler, Global Traveler, Executive Travel and BusinessWeek magazines. To enroll and for more information about Marriott Rewards, guests can visit MarriottRewards.com.