TikTok partnership with NBA and WNBA gives select creators access to marquee events

by | Jul 17, 2026 | News

With nearly half of TikTok’s billion-plus users following basketball, TikTok, the National Basketball Association (NBA) and Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) have agreed a global content partnership spanning both leagues. The multi-year agreement combines creator access to events and highlights with live-game discovery through TikTok GamePlan, and advertiser opportunities with TikTok Pulse Premiere.

TikTok said the global basketball community is “thriving” on its platform, with global interest for NBA and WNBA up nearly 30% and 15%, respectively, since the start of 2026. At the same time, women are increasingly turning to the platform for sports content, with 64% choosing TikTok as their go-to destination. Through the partnership, TikTok becomes a home for NBA and WNBA content, giving fans access to the moments, stories, and personalities that define the leagues.

The partnership will also provide select platform creators access to marquee NBA and WNBA events, enabling them to capture and share content from some of the leagues’ biggest moments, including the upcoming WNBA All Star Weekend.

A key component of the partnership is TikTok GamePlan, which allows sports teams, leagues and broadcasters to drive discovery, and deepen engagement. Fans are 42% more likely to tune in to live games after watching sports content on the platform, and TikTok GamePlan channels that behaviour directly. During the 2026 NBA Finals, the NBA leveraged TikTok GamePlan across two fan experiences: an in-app Anchor + Detail Page that generated 497m impressions and an NBA Finals Search Hub that delivered 426,000 referrals to watch games through the league’s Tap to Watch feature.

“This partnership shows how central TikTok has become to the way fans discover and engage with basketball around the world,” said Rollo Goldstaub, TikTok’s global head of sport (pictured). “As the NBA and WNBA share game highlights, creators and fans can join the conversation in real time, and TikTok GamePlan carries that same discovery straight through to tune-in, giving fans a direct path from the feed to the broadcast.”

“TikTok has become one of the most powerful cultural platforms in the world, helping a new generation of fans discover the NBA and WNBA,” added Bob Carney, NBA SVP of social and digital content. “This partnership gives us an even greater opportunity to meet those fans where they are with compelling content that celebrates the game and provides them with a seamless option to tune-in to the live broadcast.”

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