New Partnership Simplifies Finding And Watching NBA Players Compete At Esports

85% of National Basketball Association players play video games. That was a statement made by the NBA in 2012. It would not be surprising to learn that the percentage of NBA players who are gamers have increased over the past six years.

The National Basketball Players Association, the union for NBA players, wants to do create added value for players on the back of that whopping statistic. It has joined forces with an esports and gaming platform for player connection called ReadyUp. The first task for the new partnership will be to launch an esports “smart calendar” that not only connects NBA athletes for off-court gameplay, but also gives fans the opportunity to tune in to matches, tournaments and livestreams with easy access to NBA players’ streaming activity.

It is a useful tool for NBA players to battle each other and it also brings the connection between player and fan that much closer. There is no doubting that there is a mass market appeal of gaming, with traditional sports and esports becoming more closely tied together by the day, whether it be through traditional sports team owners investing in esports opportunities or traditional leagues creating new esports leagues, such as the NBA 2K League.

The NBPA tapped into its THINK450 commercial arm to broker this new deal with ReadyUp. THINK450 has been focused on finding opportunities for NBA players in the content, marketing, technology and licensing arenas since its founding in 2017.

“The NBPA and THINK450 partnership with ReadyUp gives our players an exciting new way to connect with their fans, based on their shared passion for video games and esports while creating new content and distribution channels for our business partners,” says NBPA Executive Director Michele Roberts.