The NBA’s Chicago Bulls have entered a partnership with Rovio, creators of the popular mobile game Angry Birds.

The Bulls and Rovio have installed “Angry Bird’s-Eye View Cams” on top of the backboards at their home court, Chicago’s United Center.

The new cameras will provide a view from above the rim, giving viewers a brand new angle to watch players score points from. There will also be Angry Birds branding on top of the backboards and on the LED screens next to each basket.

Wendell Carter Jr. wanted absolutely none of that in his paint ????@AngryBirds Eye View cam from last game: pic.twitter.com/1LgAe8XX7d

— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) October 22, 2018

Matthew Kobe, Vice President, Business Strategy and Analytics for the Chicago Bulls said, “Each season the Bulls look forward to providing our fans with new and exciting elements that enhance the game experience, whether it’s in the arena or on broadcast. Through our new partnership with Angry Birds, fans around the world will get to see never-before-seen views from a new ‘Angry Bird’s-Eye View’ camera placed above the backboard of each basket.”

Incorporating new elements and technology on the court not only keeps the games interesting for fans, but it also sets the tone for future trends and developments. The new cameras added in United Center could very well inspire other teams and their partners to try innovating more ideas, enhancing the fan’s experience even further.

The out-of-the-box activation recalls Angry Birds’s existing partnership with Everton in August, for which they designed characters based on players Theo Walcott, Cenk Tosun and Gylfi Sigurdsson and put them in the game.

Welcome to the Chicago fam @angrybirds!

Retweet for a chance to get a signed exclusive #AngryBirds X @ChicagoBulls hat pic.twitter.com/kAvCtZ1Jmb

— Lauri Markkanen (@MarkkanenLauri) October 19, 2018

The Chicago Bulls seem to understand that partnering with apps and games give them leeway to be a bit more creative in their partnerships and subsequent activations. Whether it’s a new view of the court during the game or embedding football players in a video game, there don’t seem to be any limitations.

This freedom to develop these creative ways of activation comes not only from working with a different industry with a different audience, but also from working with different mediums. Both the Chicago Bulls and Angry Birds will be able to reach new audiences through their partnership.

Ville Heihari, chief marketing officer for Rovio said: “Uniting the Angry Birds brand with one of the NBA’s most legendary franchises demonstrates Rovio’s continuing commitment to strategically building the brand in the United States by growing our impressive lineup of partners and bringing one-of-a-kind experiences to our fans.”

Additionally, the Bulls will surely become better known among people who play Angry Birds, which develops their brand in countries like Finland, where Rovio’s headquarters are located.

Hopefully these strides towards more unconventional sponsorships will become the norm, so that activations will continue to be innovative and all parties – whether it be the clubs, sponsors, or fans – will benefit.