Chipotle is giving away burritos for the NBA finals

Chipotle has launched a “53 Years. 53 Real Ingredients” campaign tied to the NBA Finals between the New York Knicks and San Antonio Spurs. The finals tip off today in a best-of-seven series.

The 53 years hook is a nod to 1973, when New York won its last championship and San Antonio became home to the Spurs (previously the Dallas Chaparrals). To mark the anniversary, as well as Chipotle’s longstanding value of using 53 real ingredients, the chain is giving away 53,000 burritos following the series.

Immediately following the final game of the series, Chipotle will post a text-to-win code on X that unlocks the free entrée codes. The first 53,000 fans to text the code to 888-222 will receive the offer.

"This year's series created a connection we couldn't ignore: 53 years tied to a unique championship storyline and 53 real ingredients that define Chipotle," Senior Vice President of Brand Marketing Stephanie Perdue said in a statement. "Giving away 53,000 free burritos is our way of bringing that story to life for fans."

Additionally, Chipotle has teamed up with Knicks Guards Josh Hart and Mikal Bridges to launch limited-time digital menu items, available on the chain’s app and website. They include:

• Josh Hart’s High Protein Burrito: White rice, double adobo chicken, black beans, tomato salsa, roasted chile-corn salsa, sour cream and cheese.

• Mikal Bridges’ High Protein Bowl: White rice, double adobo chicken, tomatillo-green chile salsa, roasted chile-corn salsa and lettuce.

Chipotle’s new campaign ad will air during the second game of the series on June 5, featuring Hart and Bridges alongside other athletes and creators.

This isn’t the first time Chipotle has teamed up with the NBA. The company also gave away free burritos in 2021 and ran an “Instant Freepays” promotion throughout the NBA Finals last year. In 2023, whenever an NBA player made a three-point shot in the finals, Chipotle dropped 300 free entrées via Twitter (now X).

Chipotle also has a partnership with the NHL dating back to 2021, as well as the PGA Tour. Earlier this year, the chain teamed up with American Olympians for a curated digital menu coinciding with the Winter Olympics in Milan. Chipotle has also teamed up with summer Olympians, the U.S. men’s and women’s soccer teams, the University of Southern California Women’s Basketball Team and walk-on student athletes at Ohio State University.

All of these campaigns are part of Chipotle’s Real Food for Real Athletes platform, launched in 2019, that focuses on supporting athletes by “providing proper nutrition through real food and fresh ingredients.”