This work is about the different strategies used by sports brands to build a global image and gain brand equity from its fans. The investigated subject is the National Basketball Association, the American league of professional basketball, and its positioning in foreign markets, with focus on the Italian one. There are three main areas of analysis: the collective selling of broadcasting rights in the domestic and foreign markets; the licensing of official league merchandising and sports apparel, thanks to the creation of tight relationships with famous equipment manufacturers; the...