By Antonio Ray Harvey, California Black Media
(CBM) – Reviver, the world’s first digital license plate and connected vehicle platform, has entered into a history-making jersey patch partnership with the Sacramento Kings, team officials announced right before the team’s season opener on Oct. 24.
The collaboration establishes Reviver as the first Black-founded technology jersey patch partner in the National Basketball Association (NBA).
The Reviver logo now appears on the left front strap of Kings’ uniforms.
Reviver founder and Chief Strategy Officer Neville Boston was in attendance to see the company’s patch worn by the Kings, during a game with the Minnesota Timberwolves at Golden 1 Center in downtown Sacramento.
“It was an absolutely amazing night. More than I ever expected,” Boston told California Black Media (CBM). “The Sacramento Kings have been incredible. On a national, and maybe a worldwide level, this partnership raises the profile of Reviver with the assistance of (Kings chairman and CEO) Vivek Ranadivé and the Kings.”
According to the Kings’ brass, Reviver, supported by the Black Star Fund, a Black-led venture capital firm based in Sacramento, is now an official “innovation partner” of the Kings and Golden 1 Center; a presenting partner of “Capitalize Technology,” a King’s corporate social investment initiative; and the exclusive digital license plate of the Sacramento Kings.
Headquartered in Granite Bay, a suburb of Sacramento, Reviver was born from a vision to modernize and streamline the vehicle registration renewal process. On Jan. 1, 2023, the state of California joined Georgia, Colorado, Michigan, and Arizona as states that have approved digital license plates for use statewide, after Reviver completed a four-year pilot program that evaluated a replacement for metal plates.
About 10,000 California drivers bought digital plates during the pilot program. Vehicles registered with the state are eligible to adopt the new high-tech tags. Reviver existence was made possible when Gov. Gavin Newsom signed Assembly Bill (AB) 984 in September 2022.
Under that law, California vehicle owners can update their titles, registrations, and other records remotely. In addition, the digital license “RPlate” includes a flashing message if a vehicle is reported stolen or if there is an Amber Alert.
Ranadivé is spreading the news that Reviver has international potential.
“This jersey patch partnership with Reviver continues the Kings long tradition of using our global platform to promote innovation and technology,” Ranadivé stated. “It’s particularly exciting to showcase a homegrown company that was part of our Kings Capitalize program. This is just the beginning of our work together, and we look forward to helping Reviver in its mission to modernize the driving experience.”
The commercial use of patches in professional basketball all began in 2009 when the Women’s Basketball Association (WNBA) Phoenix Mercury removed its name to replace it with sponsor, LifeLock, an identity-theft protection company. The landmark deal netted a contract worth about $1 million annually.
During the 2017-2018 season, the NBA approved a three-year pilot patch-sponsorship program. The success has since been extended permanently. Teams will showcase one client on the front left shoulder of a player’s jersey.
In 2020, the Los Angeles Clippers expanded their partnership with Honey to include the team’s jersey patch sponsorship. The technology company is headquartered in Los Angeles and has employees stationed in six continents, including North America and Europe.
In September 2021, the Los Angeles Lakers inked a five-year, $100 million agreement with the South Korean food company Bibigo to feature its logo as a patch on players’ jerseys.
After the Clippers’ relationship with the dating app Bumble ended at the end of the 2019-2020 campaign, the vacancy opened the doors for the team to replace Bumble’s patch with Bibigo’s.
Rakutens’ patch, a Japanese e-commerce company, is worn by the players of the Golden State Warriors. Rakuten first became a sponsor of the team in 2017 and extended its contract with the sports organization in 2021.
Kindra Montgomery-Block, vice president of diversity, equity, and social impact for the Sacramento Kings, was the integral facilitator who assisted Boston and his team in connecting with the sports franchise that is boasting 40 years in the Capital City.
“This partnership between the Kings and Reviver, backed by the Black Star Fund, will invest in the Sacramento community to promote technology and innovation in the region,” Montgomery-Block stated. “Reviver will support the Sacramento Kings community and diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives.”
The Kings’ Capitalize: Technology competition launched in 2016 as the NBA’s first crowdsourced startup competition. In 2019, Reviver was a contestant in the fourth annual Capitalize: Technology competition, where founder Neville Boston was introduced to Kwame Anku, the Founding Managing Partner and Chief Investment Officer of Black Star Fund. Within the last five years, the two innovators have continued to work together to ensure Reviver is efficient and functional.
“This partnership is a testament to the power of collaboration, bringing together Sacramento-based businesses across multiple industries, all aligned in a shared mission to drive economic growth while supporting our vibrant community,” Anku stated.
Boston added that the partnership is in a position to “develop something that will be the standard of how partnerships work,” he said.
Boston, majored in political science and business but applied his academic training to create a product that attracted high-level investors, software and hardware engineers, and financial consultants. He said he knew when he first met Ranadivé that the owner of the Kings’ was all about avant-garde technology.
“He’s smart, understands it, and respects it,” Boston said of Ranadivé. “We’re about to do some incredible work. We’re going to change the world.”
