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Devotion Marketing Awards, 2024-25: Panathinaikos, Zalgiris, and Fenerbahce lead the way

Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens, Zalgiris Kaunas and Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul have been named the winners of the 2024-25 Devotion Marketing Awards at the Euroleague Basketball Business Workshops. The awards honor the clubs for their innovative and impactful marketing initiatives in areas such as fan engagement, digital strategies, and merchandising.

Gold Devotion Award: Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens

For the first time ever, the Pavlos Giannakopoulos Tournament moved beyond its traditional home at OAKA, hosting a historic event at the legendary Panathenaic Stadium in Athens. The sixth edition, dubbed "Under The Stars", was a monumental success, drawing 42,000 fans who sold out the event in just 35 hours.

The tournament wasn’t just a basketball competition — it was a full-scale celebration of Pavlos Giannakopoulos’ legacy, blending elite European basketball with the rich cultural heritage of Athens. The atmosphere was electric, with light shows, live music performances from artists across Turkiye, Israel, and Serbia, and unforgettable moments that captured the hearts of fans. The event gained international attention, with over 120 global media features and coverage in multiple countries.

On social media, Panathinaikos saw impressive results with 21.3 million views, over 2.2 million engagements, and 19.6 million unique users across their platforms. The success of this groundbreaking event showcases Panathinaikos’ continued leadership in fan engagement and event marketing.

Silver Devotion Award: Zalgiris Kaunas

Zalgiris Kaunas took home the Silver Devotion Award for their incredible merchandising campaign celebrating the club’s 80th anniversary. In collaboration with Puma and Lithuanian designer Akieron, the club launched a series of exclusive merchandise collections that flew off the shelves. From limited-edition leather jackets to anniversary watches, Zalgiris’ creative campaigns helped them break sales records, grossing nearly €400,000 in merchandise sales.

The club also saw significant growth in sales, including a 54% increase in scarves and a 55% rise in jersey sales from the previous season. Zalgiris didn’t just focus on merchandise — they also ensured that their success benefited the community, with a portion of the proceeds from mascot-themed products going to charity. The anniversary campaign highlighted the club's ability to merge commercial success with meaningful fan engagement.

Bronze Devotion Award: Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul

Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul was awarded the Bronze Devotion Award for their innovative use of the club mascot, Yellow, who became a central figure in their marketing strategy. Far beyond being just a mascot, Yellow was transformed into a true brand ambassador, generating over €1 million in total revenue through social media, merchandising, and fan engagement activities.

Fenerbahce’s mascot took part in team presentations, on-court activations, and even a partnership with HT Solar to promote sustainability. The club also launched a successful merchandising campaign, selling more than 25,000 Yellow-branded items and earning nearly €500,000 in profit — making it the highest-selling collection outside of basketball and football jerseys.

Yellow’s rise from mascot to digital star was nothing short of extraordinary, with the character gaining over 170,000 new followers across social media. Fenerbahce also took Yellow on a tour of 9 cities across Europe and Abu Dhabi, creating unforgettable experiences for their global fanbase.

Euroleague Basketball congratulates the three winning clubs for their outstanding marketing achievements and recognizes the efforts of all teams involved in delivering memorable and impactful marketing campaigns this season.

Euroleague Basketball (EB) is a global leader in the sports and entertainment business, devoted to running the top European competitions of professional basketball clubs under a unique and innovative organizational model. Owned and administered by some of the most successful and historic clubs in the world, EB manages the continent’s two premier men’s basketball competitions, the EuroLeague and the BKT EuroCup, as well as the sport’s premier under-18 showcase, the Adidas NextGen EuroLeague.

The EB competitions bring the elite of European basketball to all five continents and to the entire sports community through the OTT platform EuroLeague TV. EB also organizes a series of community and educational activities, led by the One Team program, in alignment with the United Nations Agenda 2030 Sustainable Development Goals. On the academic side, the EB Sports Business MBA trains future professionals in sports management.