The NBA In-Season Tournament could possibly enhance the league’s bargaining position and add value to its upcoming rights dealsGetty Images
The NBA's In-Season Tournament represents a "strategic push" by the league to enhance fan engagement which "may sway marketers to focus more attention on basketball as marketers are spending more overall on live sports this year," according to Julian Cannon of DIGIDAY. Using the new tournament to increase fan engagement "makes sense to marketers and agency execs," as it could "increase sponsorship interest for the NBA, especially when its viewership usually dips during the holiday season, as well as gain eyeballs among basketball content creators." Marketers see the tournament being "similar to the NBA Finals or the NCAA's March Madness.” Driving interest in the tournament could "help the NBA after it initiated media rights negotiations with traditional broadcast channels and streaming platforms," with those discussions "crucial for the league." The NBA’s current rights agreements are set to expire after the 2024-25 season, and the tournament could "potentially enhance the league’s bargaining position and add value to these upcoming rights deals." The new tournament also could help the NBA "score a bigger portion of the sports marketing pie." Typically, football, including the NFL and college games, "reins supreme during the fall season," but the tournament offers advertisers a "new sports property through which they can connect with sports enthusiasts in a live setting." Marketers suggest that the tournament could "increase revenues if the event is successful in increasing viewership and fan engagement." However, the "key challenge is whether the tournament will attract new and curious viewers in addition to the NBA’s existing fans" (DIGIDAY, 11/8).
