Ayrton Oneill
The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a global sports and media organisation with the mission to inspire and connect people through basketball. It is one of the major professional sports leagues in North America, with 29 teams in the US and 1 in Canada. The NBA has a long history of partnerships with television networks, and in 2025, it signed 11-year agreements with ABC, NBC, ESPN, Peacock, and Amazon Prime Video to broadcast games in the US. The NBA also has a partnership with the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA), which is the union for current professional basketball players in the NBA, established in 1954. The NBPA advocates for the interests of NBA players and has over 80 active partnerships.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Type of organization | Professional basketball league |
| Number of teams | 30 |
| Location | North America |
| Number of countries | 2 |
| History of partnership | Yes |
| Year founded | 1949 |
| Current partnerships | Fast Break for Small Business program with LegalZoom, NBPA, 2K, USA Basketball, and Take-Two Interactive |
| Number of players | 450 |
| Number of partnerships | Over 80 |
| Recent awards | Adweek's US Agency of the Year |
| Recent initiatives | Empowering initiative for small businesses |
| Recent announcements | Moses Moody and Santi Aldama join the NBPA Board of Directors |
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What You'll Learn
The NBA's history of partnerships with TV networks
The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America, composed of 30 teams. It is one of the major professional sports leagues in the US and Canada and is considered the premier professional basketball league globally. The NBA is a global sports and media organisation with games and programming available in 215 countries and territories and in more than 50 languages.
The NBA has a long history of partnerships with television networks in the US. The NBA signed a contract with DuMont Television Network in its eighth season, the 1953-54 season, marking the first year the NBA had a national television broadcaster. NBC took over the rights from the 1954-55 season until April 1962. During the 1990s, NBC's partnership with the NBA brought the league unprecedented popularity, with ratings surpassing the mid-1980s. In 1964, the American Broadcasting Company (ABC) acquired the rights to televise games, which was the longest relationship the NBA had with a television network at the time, lasting until 1973.
In 2024, the NBA announced new 11-year media agreements with The Walt Disney Company, NBCUniversal and Amazon Prime Video through the 2035-36 season. Under these contracts, ESPN shows doubleheaders on Wednesday nights, and Amazon Prime Video streams games on Friday nights for most of the season. Peacock streams an NBA game on Monday nights, while NBC airs two regional games on Tuesday nights.
The NBA has also expanded its international presence through its partnerships. NBCU will distribute NBA games in several European markets through Sky Sports, as well as in the Caribbean and sub-Saharan Africa.
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The NBA's status as a partnership or league
The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America. It was formed in 1949 by the merger of two rival organizations, the National Basketball League (NBL) and the Basketball Association of America (BAA). The NBA is composed of 30 teams (29 in the US and 1 in Canada), divided into two conferences: Eastern and Western. Each conference has three divisions.
The NBA is considered the premier professional basketball league globally and is one of the major professional sports leagues in the US and Canada. It is a global sports and media organization with the mission to inspire and connect people worldwide through basketball. The NBA has established a significant international presence, with games and programming available in 214-215 countries and territories in 50-60 languages. Additionally, merchandise is sold in over 200 countries and territories on all seven continents. The NBA has also had a long history of partnerships with television networks in the US, dating back to its eighth season in 1953-54 when it signed a contract with DuMont Television Network.
The NBA is built around five professional sports leagues: the NBA, WNBA, NBA G League, NBA 2K League, and Basketball Africa League. The NBA has a partnership with 2K, a label of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc., which publishes the leading global basketball video game series NBA 2K. This partnership has been extended recently and includes the NBA G League and USA Basketball. Additionally, the NBA and Take-Two Interactive have launched NBA Take-Two Media, which aims to bring fans and players together through competitive gaming, social-first content, original programming, and live events.
The NBA also has a partnership with the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA), the union for current professional basketball players in the NBA. The NBPA was established in 1954 and advocates for the rights and best interests of NBA players. It also has partnerships with other organizations, such as LegalZoom, with which it launched the Fast Break for Small Business program, providing grants and services to small business owners.
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The National Basketball Players Association (NBPA)
The NBPA is governed by a peer-elected player leadership team, inclusive of nine union members. Elected members of each team are chosen at the start of each season, representing the voice of their peers and their locker rooms. The NBPA also has an executive committee, with Jaylen Brown serving as Vice President as of February 2025.
The NBPA has been actively involved in advocating for players' rights and improving their conditions. In the 1950s, Celtics star Bob Cousy and Joe Sharry campaigned for basic improvements, including pay for promotional activities and limits on exhibition games. In the 1970s, the NBPA, led by executive director Larry Fleisher, presented a list of demands to the NBA, including a pension plan and athletic trainers for every team. The NBPA has also been involved in social issues, with players taking actions to support the Black Lives Matter movement and increase voter registration during the 2020 presidential election.
The NBPA organizes various events and initiatives, such as the annual elite youth basketball camp, "Top 100," which provides mentorship to top-ranked high school players. They also collaborate internationally, such as with the University Mohammed VI Polytechnic (UM6P) to organize "One Court Africa," an event to promote impact investing and African entrepreneurship. Additionally, the NBPA has strategic partnerships, like with Function Health, to provide NBA players with access to advanced health management platforms.
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The NBA's international presence
The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America with 30 teams (29 in the US and 1 in Canada). It is considered the premier professional basketball league in the world and has established a major international presence.
The NBA has a long history of partnerships with television networks in the US, which has helped to grow its international presence. The league is now available in 215 countries and territories and in over 50 languages. The NBA has one of the largest social media communities in the world, with 2.1 billion likes and followers across all league, team, and player platforms. The large international following is centred on social media, with Twitter and Instagram providing platforms for fans to interact with each other and their favourite players.
The NBA has also expanded its global outreach to children with programs such as Basketball Without Borders and NBA Basketball School. The former has seen "tremendous success" and has helped create opportunities for children across the globe to participate in basketball. The NBA has also opened attractions such as the NBA Courtside Restaurant in Toronto and the NBA Park in Gramado, Brazil.
The league has a record number of international players, with 125 international players from 40 countries and territories across six continents joining opening-night rosters this season. This has contributed to the surge in international interest, with fans from over 200 countries expected to tune in to games.
The NBA has a more measured approach to expansion than other leagues, with Commissioner Adam Silver stating that four teams would need to be placed in Europe simultaneously. However, the NBA continues to strengthen its connections and influence worldwide, with global business accounting for about 10% of total team and league revenue.
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The NBA's partnerships with other basketball leagues
The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a global sports and media organisation with a presence in 214-215 countries and territories and programming in 50-60 languages. The NBA is built around five professional sports leagues: the NBA, the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA), the NBA G League, the NBA 2K League, and the Basketball Africa League (BAL).
The NBA was founded in 1949 through the merger of the Basketball Association of America (BAA) and the National Basketball League (NBL). In 1976, the NBA merged with the American Basketball Association (ABA), adding four franchises to the NBA. The NBA has also partnered with television networks in the United States since the 1953-54 season, when it signed a contract with DuMont Television Network.
The NBA has several partnerships with other basketball leagues. One example is the WNBA, which is the women's equivalent of the NBA. The WNBA and the Women's National Basketball Players Association (WNBPA) signed an eight-year CBA in 2020 to improve player compensation, the player experience, and expand career development opportunities. The WNBA also has partnerships with AT&T, Deloitte, Nike, Google, U.S. Bank, and CarMax.
Another example of the NBA's partnerships with other basketball leagues is the BAL, which is a partnership between the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) and the NBA. The BAL is a new professional league featuring 12 club teams from across Africa and is headquartered in Dakar, Senegal. The BAL marks the NBA's first collaboration to operate a league outside of North America.
The NBA has also partnered with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to host preseason games in Abu Dhabi in 2024. Additionally, the NBA G League is a minor league basketball organisation run by the NBA that serves as the official developmental league for the NBA.
The NBA has a long history of partnerships with other basketball leagues and organisations, and these partnerships have helped to grow the sport globally and improve the player experience.
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Frequently asked questions
The NBA is a global sports and media organisation with the mission to inspire and connect people worldwide through basketball. It is composed of 30 teams (29 in the US and 1 in Canada) and is considered the premier professional basketball league globally.
The NBPA is the union for current professional basketball players in the NBA. Established in 1954, the NBPA's mission is to protect and advance the rights of players. They advocate on behalf of players' best interests, including negotiating collective bargaining agreements and filing grievances.
The NBA has had several partnerships throughout its history. Some include television network partnerships, such as with DuMont Television Network and NBC. They also have partnerships with other basketball leagues, like the WNBA and NBA G League. Additionally, the NBA has a partnership with 2K, the publisher of the leading global basketball video game series NBA 2K.
