Photo Credit: Alex George
UnitedMasters and the National Basketball Association (NBA) have announced plans to expand their existing collaboration across Africa.
Both companies will leverage the popularity of music, basketball, and the NBA on the African continent—showcasing African musicians to positively impact African youth. The collaboration with NBA Africa will allow UnitedMasters to empower independent musicians by providing them with the opportunity to have their music featured across the league’s social media channels in Africa. The relationship will connect artists with NBA Africa, resulting in access to African audiences and the ability for artists to amplify their music to fans across the continent.
The announcement builds on the already established relationship between UnitedMasters and NBA Africa which began in 2018. It comes as UnitedMasters is expanding its platform into Nigeria, where NBA Africa also has dedicated offices to support the leagues’ business initiatives in the country.
“Our collaboration with the NBA has been since day one a great articulation of our company at its best—finding the shared value between sports and music to the benefit of both,” adds UnitedMasters CEO Steve Stoute. “As UnitedMasters expands into Africa, deepening our collaboration only makes sense: the audience appeal of each is a huge opportunity for the other. Together, we’re ensuring breakthrough Nigerian artists can access a global stage in an instant, while at the same time allowing the league to align directly with the tastes and ambitions of their next two billion fans.”
“We’re excited to expand our collaboration with United Masters, who share our commitment to inspiring and connecting youth across Africa and around the world,” adds NBA Vice President & Country Head of Nigeria, Gbemisola Abudu. “As we continue to integrate the NBA into the key pillars of culture in Nigeria, we believe this relationship will enable us to showcase the tremendous passion for music and basketball on the continent and bring fans together around their shared love of both.”
NBA Africa held the second edition of its ‘NBA Meets Art’ in November 2023 in Lagos, Nigeria to celebrate basketball through the lens of Nigerian art and culture. NBA Africa collaborated with Nigerian artist Dennis Osadebe to curate an installation that focused on the essence of community and togetherness that basketball fosters. In February 2022, several Nigerian superstars including Burna Boy headlined the NBA All-Star Game halftime show.
