The
Detroit Pistons have had a truly horrible NBA season and it's entirely possible they don't even earn 12 wins this season. But despite that, they have done something very impressive for the restaurant company Wingstop: they have made them millions of dollars.
ClutchPoints dug into the numbers and found that the Pistons' association with Wingstop this season has worked wonders for the business. There was a standing deal between the team and company that said every fan in Detroit would get five free Wingstop wings when the Pistons won. Of course, the team then went on a historic losing streak and lost 28 games in a row.
Then, on December 30th, they won their first game in two months and citizens in Detroit made good on the company's promise, showing up at locations to get their free wings.
Wingstop made $19 million in net income that quarter, which was a 46% increase from the previous quarter. Their deal with the Pistons rose awareness and, more importantly, drove up sales.
However, that wasn't the end of the great NBA season for Wingstop. Just last month,
Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks was spotted trying to scan a QR code during a game in hopes of getting himself some free wings. Then he posted a video of himself enjoying the restaurant's food during All-Star Weekend.
Because of that, Wingstop stock surged and went up 80% compared to just six months ago. Once again, the company was thriving because of NBA players.
The success that Wingstop has found this year proves that making deals with NBA teams is very smart business that can lead to delicious results.
