Chipotle Is Giving Away $1 Million Worth of Free Food, Thanks to Basketball

Although fans of the Raptors and Golden State Warriors are undoubtedly psyched to watch their teams battle for a chance at winning the championship title this year, the 2019 NBA Finals are shaping up to be a huge deal for fans of free food all across the country. Chipotle just announced it will be giving away a whopping $1 million worth of free burritos during the huge hoops tournament. 

And you thought everyone getting free a Taco Bell taco was a good deal.

To celebrate the 2019 NBA Finals, Chipotle will be giving away up to $1 million in free food by unleashing promo codes on Twitter every time an on-air announcer says the word "free" during a game in the tournament, which kicks off Thursday, May 30 at 9pm EST. Every time "free" is mentioned during a game, the chain's official Twitter account will tweet out a code redeemable for free "entrees" (e.g., a burrito, burrito bowl, tacos, or salad). Specifically, each code triggered by a mention of "free" during the first half will be active until 500 free entrees are redeemed, while that number jumps to 1,000 per mention during the second half. In other words, there's a good chance you'll be getting a free meal at Chipotle soon, plus some free Taco Bell.

"We know that basketball fans are some of the most passionate fans in sports, so we're putting even more, about one million dollars more, on the line by 'freeting' through these final games," said Chris Brandt, Chipotle's chief marketing officer, in a press release.

If you want to clear your calendar, this is the official 2019 NBA Finals schedule:

Mentions of “free” must be from the principal play-by-play announcer, color commentator, or sideline reporter on the official broadcast network (ABC), per the chain. To successfully redeem a code, you'll need to text it correctly to 888222 before it's been maxed out. Also, there's a limit of one redemption per person throughout the promotion, and you must redeem it by July 14.

If staying glued to the games and rapidly checking Twitter all night doesn't seem worth it to you, there are other ways to score some free stuff. Chipotle will also be offering gratis delivery on orders of $10 or more from May 30 through June 9 (and then on each game day after that, should the series continue), via its app and through DoorDash. 

Is it just us, or does basketball suddenly seem a lot more exciting this year?

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