Nestlé is partnering with the NBA in a new multi-year international marketing deal that will see Milo, Nescau and Nesquik become official partners of the basketball league, with activations planned in the UK from January.
The partnership, which comes into effect on 1 January 2027, spans 21 markets across four continents and will include retail programmes, on-pack promotions and consumer competitions offering NBA tickets, merchandise and other prizes.
Nestlé said the deal is its largest international brand collaboration to date and will see the company focus on fewer, larger global marketing platforms that can be activated consistently while being adapted to individual markets.
NBA builds UK presence
The deal comes as the NBA continues to strengthen its presence in the UK, following a joint commitment with the UK government announced last year to support the growth of basketball in England.
The partnership included a combined £10 million commitment towards basketball development, with funding directed towards facilities, grassroots participation and fan engagement. The NBA said at the time that its UK programmes were reaching more than 50,000 young people annually, while NBA fandom among UK adults had increased by 24 per cent since 2022.
The NBA's UK audience has also shown strong growth. The NBA London Game 2026, which saw the Orlando Magic face the Memphis Grizzlies at The O2 in January, was the league's most-watched London Game in Europe, with viewership up 90 per cent on the previous London Game in 2019. NBA game viewership on Prime Video in the UK was also up 444 per cent year-on-year during the 2025/26 season.
The next UK fixture will take place at Manchester's Co-op Live on 17 January 2027, when the New Orleans Pelicans will face the San Antonio Spurs. It will be the NBA's first regular-season game in Manchester and the league's 20th game featuring an NBA team in England since 1993.
Retail promotions planned
The Nestlé partnership will include retail programmes and in-market fan experiences, including on-pack promotions featuring NBA branding and opportunities for consumers to win NBA tickets, merchandise and other prizes.
Nestlé and the NBA will also run activations across selected NBA youth basketball development programmes and platforms, including Jr. NBA/Jr. WNBA, NBA Basketball School, Jr. NBA/Jr. WNBA Coaches Academies, Her Time To Play and NBA 3X.
The partnership will also extend to selected NBA events and fan engagement platforms, including NBA Global Games and NBA House.
Liberato Milo, SVP head of confectionery & snacking strategic business unit at Nestlé, said the company's brands had a long history of using sport to connect with consumers.
“Together with the NBA, we will use the power of basketball to connect with consumers at scale, create locally relevant experiences and inspire more young people and families to get active and enjoy the game,” he said.
Julie Morris, NBA senior vice president of commercial development and media, added: “We look forward to leveraging Nestlé's reach and local market presence to connect with fans in new ways and support the continued growth of basketball around the world.”
The agreement covers the UK alongside markets including the US, Canada, Australia, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Turkey, Brazil and Mexico.
The partnership will initially cover 20 markets, with the Philippines joining from October 2027.