International Basketball Federation FIBA has entered into an agreement with 2K Games to provide a platform that will enable individuals to organise international events for national federations and the esports gaming community.
The long-term agreement highlights the shared commitment to enhance the connection between eFIBA events and the NBA 2K League. It creates avenues for identifying talent at a regional level, granting eFIBA participants opportunities to engage in NBA 2K League events and the NBA 2K League Draft.
Each year, the eFIBA calendar will include Qualifiers, four Regional Finals (Africa, Asia including Oceania, Americas, and Europe), and the eFIBA World Finals.
In collaboration with ESL FACEIT Group (EFG), the inaugural eFIBA window will launch this autumn, serving as a catalyst in expanding the reach of esports and enhancing its appeal to a wider audience of aspiring players.
Expanding the world of esports
Through this partnership, FIBA aims to expand its global basketball audience in line with its ongoing fan engagement strategy. By targeting the esports-savvy ‘Gen Z’ demographic, FIBA can tap into the rising popularity of esports and foster a new generation of fans.
In the context of FIBA’s vision to unite national federations and esports players globally, the partnership with the NBA 2K League and 2K Games is very important. NBA 2K for instance, offers a platform to showcase skills and the passion for online gaming with its top-selling titles. This collaboration serves as a key lever in bringing together basketball enthusiasts from around the world.
By establishing and structuring a global competitive gaming ecosystem for national teams, this agreement aligns perfectly with FIBA’s mission. As a result, it hopes to contribute to the growth and popularity of esports, expanding the FIBA Family – an important strategic focus for FIBA.
An integral aspect of the agreement entails welcoming additional national federations into the esports ecosystem. These federations will receive encouragement and support to field national teams, enabling them to actively participate in the forthcoming competitions.
Isa Muhammad is a writer and video game journalist covering many aspects of entertainment media including the film industry. He's steadily writing his way to the sharp end of journalism and enjoys staying informed. If he's not reading, playing video games or catching up on his favourite TV series, then he's probably writing about them.
