Jazz's first jersey patch will promote cancer research

The Utah Jazz of the National Basketball Association and customer experience software company Qualtrics have announced a partnership where Qualtrics will become the team’s fan experience insights and analytics partner.

As part of the deal with the Jazz, Qualtrics, an employer of more than 1,000 based in Provo, will also be the team’s jersey patch partner in a first-of-its-kind partnership among North American professional sports teams, the Jazz said in a statement last week. Rather than placing the company’s logo on the jersey for the 2017-2018 season, Qualtrics is sponsoring the patch in the name of its charity — “5 For The Fight” — to raise funds to accelerate the pace of innovative cancer research.

The 5 For The Fight logo will be placed on all Jazz game uniforms, calling attention to a global campaign that invites people to donate $5 to cancer research. Qualtrics will sponsor the patch and the Utah Jazz will integrate the effort to support cancer research into other highly visible Jazz platforms such as in-game signage and activities, digital and social media content, and arena signage and broadcasting.

“The Utah Jazz and Qualtrics are excited to form a partnership that will both transform the fan experience and make a tangible contribution to eradicating cancer by supporting some of the most important research being done today,” said Jazz president Steve Starks. “In addition, our partnership with Qualtrics will help us leverage greater analytics and innovation to take our team performance, employee engagement and fan experience to a whole new level.”

The cause-related jersey patch will feature the 5 For The Fight logo in the team’s colors. The patch will be located on the front left shoulder of the Jazz uniforms, measuring approximately 2.5 inches by 2.5 inches and coinciding with next season’s debut of new Nike jerseys.

“Qualtrics started when my dad called me to tell me he had cancer. I moved home and he and I started working on a tech project,” said Ryan Smith, co-founder and CEO of Qualtrics. “That project eventually turned into Qualtrics. We vowed that if the company ever made any money, we would make it our mission to support cancer research. Today we’re excited to partner with the Jazz in our effort to raise $50 million. We’re also excited to leverage Qualtrics’ technology and insights in a transformative business partnership with the Utah Jazz.”

“The generosity of Qualtrics in sponsoring the jersey patch on our uniforms is unprecedented,” said Gail Miller, owner of the Larry H. Miller Group of Companies and the Utah Jazz. “Cancer has impacted innumerable people in our community and we are pleased to partner with them to bring attention to this worthy cause. In addition, we couldn’t be more excited to partner with Qualtrics to use their technology to help us innovate and improve performance.”