Scene has established a partnership with the NBA, making it the entertainment loyalty partner of the league in Canada and extending its reach into sports.

The three-year partnership has already begun, giving members that used their Scene card before Feb. 3 the opportunity to win one of three experiences for two during the upcoming NBA’s All-Star Weekend in Chicago. Tangerine – which is also owned by Scotiabank – will also participate in co-branded activations and campaigns with Scene in its capacity as the official bank of the NBA in Canada.

Matthew Seagrim, managing director of Scene, says the focus of the partnership is on “once in a lifetime experiences… as opposed to opportunities to earn or redeem points in the short term,” as members would at Cineplex movie theatres or Recipe Unlimited-owned partner restaurants. While the partnership will “grow and expand over time,” with more experiences beyond the All-Star Weekend to be announced in the coming months, the partnership overall is focused on giving members extra value through “access to exclusive prizes and unforgettable experiences” by using their card at the programs other partners, which also include Playdium and The Rec Room.

“Scene is all about engaging our members to do more of the things they enjoy with their friends and families,” Seagrim says. “This partnership helps us build more value for our members when they do the things they enjoy.”

Scene has participated in hockey promotions with Scotiabank in the past and had ongoing regional promotional partnerships with MLSE, but the NBA partnership marks a push by Scene’s into more sports experiences. Scene was looking to capitalize on member interest in sports more broadly, and Seagrim says more NBA fans are engaged with the Scene program than fans from any other league, which – when combined with the fact that Tangerine is also the official bank of the NBA – made the partnership make “perfect sense.”

Last year, Scene co-owner Cineplex hosted NBA Finals viewing parties in 33 theatres as part of its Cineplex Events specialty programming. This morning, Cineplex released its Q4 results, its first since receiving shareholder approval for the $2.8 billion acquisition by U.K.-based Cineworld Group.