Nike Inc. has signed on to remain as the exclusive uniform and apparel provider for the National Basketball Association, along with the WNBA and the G League, for another 12 years
Under terms of the deal, Nike will be the leagues’ global outfitting, merchandising, marketing and content partner until 2037. The company will also be in charge of designing and manufacturing NBA and WNBA jerseys, as well the All-Star Game jerseys for both leagues. Nike will also make on-court and fan apparel for the leagues. Nike also extended its group license agreement with the National Basketball Players Association.
Nike has been the NBA’s global merchandise partner since the start of the 2017-18 season, after they struck a deal in 2015 to replace Adidas. Nike has been the WNBA’s marketing partner since its launch in 1997.
“We had common alignment from the very beginning, a common and shared goal to continue growing basketball on a global basis, across boys, girls, grassroots elite players, and of course, all through the NBA,” said Sal LaRocca, the NBA’s president of global partnerships. “So it was an easy decision, from our perspective, to, in fact, extend with Nike for another 12 years.”
“Nike has always been more than a league sponsor — we’re a strategic partner with an unwavering commitment to growing the game, alongside the NBA, WNBA and NBA G League,” said Elliott Hill, president and CEO, Nike, Inc., in a statement.
According to Nike and the league, the renewal deal includes new content initiatives, a comprehensive commitment to grassroots basketball, as well as the continued development of a joint membership program that will give fans distinctive products, content, and experiences.
Nike, along with the NBA and WNBA, will be introducing more programs and resources to make best-in-class youth basketball more accessible and scalable, prioritizing broad access to coaching, training, on-court development curriculum, and playing standards to youth of all backgrounds and abilities. The brands will also be collaborating to enhance player, coach and program development opportunities across Nike Elite Youth Basketball League (EYBL) through expanded leadership, player health, and on-court development programming.
There is also a distinct emphasis on improving, developing, branding and scaling youth basketball programming, such as Jr. NBA, Basketball Without Borders (BWB) and Her Time to Play.
The NBA declined to disclose financial terms, but a source familiar with the deal told CNBC it is “much bigger” than the previous contract.
Image courtesy NBA
