# Miami HEAT

> Miami HEAT is a professional basketball and sports-entertainment company built around an NBA team, a live-event platform at Kaseya Center, a direct-to-fan retail and ticketing operation, media distribution, sponsorship inventory, youth programs and community initiatives. Founded as an expansion franchise in 1988, it differentiates itself through a deliberately codified operating philosophy called HEAT Culture, a strong Miami visual identity and a record of three NBA championships.

- **Founded:** 1988
- **Headquarters:** Miami, United States
- **Founders:** Ted Arison (Founding owner and financial backer), Lewis Schaffel (Founding managing general partner), Billy Cunningham (Founding partner), Zev Buffman (Founding general partner)
- **Team size:** Approximately 1,400 employees reported in supplied company data; public directory and career materials cover basketball, business, arena, retail, technology, content, ticketing and community functions.
- **Products:** Miami HEAT basketball, Tickets and premium experiences, Media and digital content, Court Culture and HEAT retail, Corporate partnerships
- **Notable:** Won NBA championships in 2006, 2012 and 2013., Reached the NBA Finals seven times through 2023., Won the NBA's inaugural Inclusion Leadership Award in 2018.

## Products & services

- **Miami HEAT basketball** — NBA regular-season and playoff competition, delivered live at Kaseya Center and through local, national and league media distribution.
- **Tickets and premium experiences** — Full and half season memberships, partial plans, group experiences, courtside seats, clubs and suites.
- **Media and digital content** — Game broadcasts, team reporting, video series, social content and the official HEAT app for content, tickets and upgrades.
- **Court Culture and HEAT retail** — Team apparel, jerseys, collaborations and lifestyle merchandise sold online and at physical HEAT Store locations.
- **Corporate partnerships** — Jersey, arena, media, hospitality and campaign inventory that connects brands with HEAT fans and South Florida.
- **Youth basketball and dance programs** — Camps, clinics and participatory programs for children and families across the region.
- **Kaseya Center events** — Arena programming and event marketing beyond NBA games through the wider HEAT Group operation.
- **HEAT Check Gaming** — The franchise's NBA 2K League team, launched as part of the league's inaugural group.

## Achievements

- Won NBA championships in 2006, 2012 and 2013.
- Reached the NBA Finals seven times through 2023.
- Won the NBA's inaugural Inclusion Leadership Award in 2018.
- Built HEAT Academy education programs that have received millions of dollars in cumulative support.
- Delivered more than 357,000 participant experiences through over 1,500 youth basketball clinics as reported for the 2026-27 season.
- Created 25 HEAT Learn and Play Centers and Mindfulness Sanctuaries with more than $855,000 in renovations, as reported for 2026-27.
- Forbes ranked the franchise eighth among NBA teams by estimated value in 2025.

## Latest updates

- **2026-06** — WPLG Local 10 and the HEAT expanded their media agreement so all non-nationally televised 2026-27 games would air free over the air in South Florida, with local streaming access.
- **2026-06** — The team announced its 2026 Summer League roster and schedules for the California Classic and Las Vegas.
- **2025-10** — Forbes estimated the franchise at $5.7 billion on $417 million of 2024-25 revenue.
- **2025-10** — The organization reported a $1 million contribution to Direct Relief for Hurricane Melissa recovery in Jamaica.
- **2024-10** — Kaseya Center expanded its arena food mix with local vendors and Miami-specific menu items.
- **2024-09** — Robinhood became the team's jersey patch partner ahead of the 2024-25 season.

## Links

- Website: https://www.nba.com/heat/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/miami-heat
- Twitter/X: https://x.com/MiamiHEAT
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/MiamiHeat
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/miamiheat/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MiamiHeat/
- TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@miamiheat

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/miami-heat
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-08-13