A new collaboration has been formed in a bid to elevate social engagement for NBA players, between the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA), its for-profit arm, THINK450 and Opendorse.
With Opendorse, brand partners, sponsors, and licensees can personalise NBA player-driven social media campaigns via a single platform. Once a campaign’s participants are identified, brands use Opendorse to send players tap-to-publish posts, allowing for accurate and on-time activations that are tailored to deliver the brand’s desired outcomes.
Payne Brown, President of THINK450 commented: “It is our mission to provide our members with as much value beyond the court as possible. We recognize that our players have incredible reach and influence on social media, making them powerful voices in their communities and valuable additions to brands’ ongoing activations.
“This partnership with Opendorse means more opportunities for players to use their platforms and work with organizations that align with their core values.”
The program aims to make collaboration and paid opportunities easier and more frequent for players. Each player participant can approve and publish content to their personal Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram channels with a single tap.
“It’s exciting to see the NBPA take the next step to help the players and brands work together,” said NBPA member and Brooklyn guard Caris LeVert. “As NBA players, we are always juggling different obligations and having a tool like Opendorse to streamline the process of working with brand partners makes our lives that much easier.”
There has never been more eyes on social media, with user-engagement estimated to be up as much as 75% during the coronavirus outbreak. And in North American sports, no group of athletes can match NBA players’ reach and engagement to their fans. In 2019, NBA players produced more cumulative social media engagements (1.6 billion) and video views (1.52 billion) than any other group in North American team sports despite having the fewest active athletes.
“By the numbers, NBA players are the most marketable in North American sports,” said Opendorse CEO Blake Lawrence. “We aim to not only bring these athletes more opportunities but also make their influence on social more accessible to the brands who support them. I’m thrilled to join the NBPA and THINK450 in maximizing value and marketability for NBA players with social media.”
