The NBA 2K game series has been one of the most innovative and top-selling sports games over the last decade plus. That strong bond between the league and the game has helped bring exciting news to the forefront.
On Friday, the NBA and Take-Two Interactive combined to launch the NBA Take-Two Media (NBAT2). This partnership will focus on multiple different facets of video gaming and culture.
They also announced that the NBA, NBA Players Association, and 2K have agreed on a multi-year global partnership expansion. This will also include the the rights to WNBA, NBA G League, and USA Basketball.
“NBA 2K has engaged a new generation of basketball fans in an increasingly digital world,” NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said in a statement. “By expanding our partnership and creating NBA Take-Two Media, we look forward to building on the incredible success of the NBA 2K franchise.”
“We are immensely pleased to continue our longstanding, highly successful partnership with the NBA and the NBPA and look forward to building upon the record-setting achievements that we have accomplished together,” said Strauss Zelnick, Chairman and CEO of Take-Two Interactive. “I would like to thank Adam Silver, Andre Iguodala, and all our partners at the NBA and NBPA for their continued support and shared vision to empower NBA 2K to become the premier interactive entertainment basketball franchise. We are excited to unveil NBA Take-Two Media and look forward to seeing how it will create an entirely new and multi-faceted NBA experience for our communities.”
“NBA 2K is a staple in the basketball community and has given fans a dynamic and immersive opportunity to experience the game and deepen their connection with the players,” said NBPA Executive Director Andre Iguodala. “The extension of this partnership reflects our shared commitment to innovation while expanding the reach of our sport to new audiences around the world.”
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This new chapter in the long-standing relationship between the NBA and Take-Two will take what they had with the NBA2K League and change its focus to more of a content and entertainment product. The intent is to combine the popularity of basketball with the way the next generation interacts with the sport, the athletes, and the culture in general.
NBA Take-Two Media will include competitive gaming, social-first content, original programming, and live events. The partnership promises to create unique stories and interactive experiences that collide with gaming, travel, music, fashion, food, and more. They will work with tastemakers, athletes, creators, and fans.
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This has been long-awaited since the conclusion of the NBA 2K League last year. The new business partnership should help with aligning the goals of what the NBA and Take-Two want to accomplish and not have all of it be about video gaming.
The Esports portion of it should see the return of tournament-style competition for NBA 2K, even if it isn’t like the NBA 2K League was designed with teams in mind. Bringing the competitive side of NBA 2K will generate more excitement and potentially attract a new audience through cross-collaboration with individuals in music, fashion, food, and other fields.
The NBA 2K League historically struggled to capture a mass audience despite the level of invesment from NBA teams. Over the last year, the official NBA2KLeague Twitch channel reached a peak viewership of 26K concurrent viewers. For comparison, the main channel for Rocket League esports reached a peak CCV of 113K in that same period.
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