Nestle, NBA Announce Multi-year International Marketing Partnership

Charles Ajunwa

Nestle and the National Basketball Association (NBA)  entered a new multi-year international marketing partnership making Milo, Nescau and Nesquik Official Partners of the NBA. 

The partnership will include activations across select NBA youth basketball development programmes and platforms

The agreement spans 21 markets across four continents, including Nigeria  and is designed to engage fans and inspire youth basketball participation around the world. In Nigeria, where Milo has supported youth basketball development for more than two decades through the Milo Basketball Championship, the partnership represents an opportunity to build on that legacy and inspire even more young people to get active through sport. 

Nestle’s largest international brand collaboration to date, the partnership reflects the company’s strategy to focus on fewer, larger global marketing platforms that can be activated consistently across markets, ensuring local relevance. It will come into effect on 1 January 2027. 

As part of the collaboration, Nestle and the NBA will build on a shared commitment to youth participation in sport by creating more opportunities for young people and families to engage with basketball. This will include activations across select NBA youth basketball development programs and platforms, including Jr. NBA/Jr. WNBA, NBA Basketball School, Jr. NBA/Jr. WNBA Coaches Academies, Her Time To Play and NBA 3X, and will extend across select NBA events and fan engagement platforms, including NBA Global Games and NBA House.  

“For decades, our brands have believed in the power of sport to bring out the best in people,” said Liberato Milo, SVP Head of Confectionery and Snacking Strategic Business Unit at Nestle. “From Milo and Nescau sports programmes to Nesquik athlete partnerships and initiatives, we have seen how sport can energise people, build confidence and create healthy habits. 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.”

The marketing partnership will also encompass 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. 

Speaking on the partnership, Wassim Elhusseini, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Nestle Nigeria, said, “Basketball has become an important part of the Milo story in Nigeria, creating opportunities for young people to participate in sport while developing values such as discipline, resilience, teamwork and self-belief. This partnership with the NBA builds on that strong foundation, connecting our longstanding commitment to basketball in Nigeria with a truly global platform. We are excited about the possibilities this creates to deepen engagement with the sport and inspire even more young people to get active, discover their potential and grow through basketball.” 

The Milo Basketball Championship, now in its 26th edition, reached more than 13,000 schools across Nigeria in 2026, providing young people with opportunities to participate in competitive basketball while developing important life skills through sport. 

“Nestle is one of the world’s most recognisable brands and has a longstanding connection to consumers across the globe,” said Julie Morris, NBA Senior Vice President of Commercial Development and Media. “We look forward to leveraging Nestle’s reach and local market presence to connect with fans in new ways and support the continued growth of basketball around the world.” 

The partnership will also activate across: Australia, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, France, Germany, Ghana, Italy, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Singapore, Spain, Thailand, Turkey, the United Kingdom, the United States, Vietnam – with the Philippines joining from October 2027.