Coinbase and NBA Sign Partnership Deal

Another tie-up for the crypto-forward sports league.

AccessTimeIconOct 20, 2021 at 9:55 p.m. UTC
Updated May 11, 2023 at 7:01 p.m. UTC
10 Years of Decentralizing the Future
May 29-31, 2024 - Austin, TexasThe biggest and most established global hub for everything crypto, blockchain and Web3.Register Now

Coinbase and the National Basketball Association (NBA) are teaming up on a multiyear partnership, the publicly traded crypto exchange said Tuesday.

The deal extends to the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA), NBA G League, NBA 2K League and USA Basketball.

“As part of the partnership, we will create interactive experiences to engage with the NBA and WNBA’s incredible community and athletes around the world,” Coinbase Chief Marketing Officer Kate Rouch said in a statement.

It’s another step into the crypto universe for the North American basketball league. A partnership deal with Dapper Labs on NBA Top Shot kicked off non-fungible token (NFT) mania earlier this year.

The NBA’s tie-up with Coinbase is reminiscent of Major League Baseball (MLB) inking a deal with crypto exchange FTX that went live in July.

A Coinbase spokesman said the exchange isn’t commenting beyond what’s in the release.

The news comes just a week after Coinbase announced the release of its own NFT marketplace, which currently has more than two million users on its waitlist.

Disclosure

Please note that our privacy policy, terms of use, cookies, and do not sell my personal information has been updated.

CoinDesk is an award-winning media outlet that covers the cryptocurrency industry. Its journalists abide by a strict set of editorial policies. In November 2023, CoinDesk was acquired by the Bullish group, owner of Bullish, a regulated, digital assets exchange. The Bullish group is majority-owned by Block.one; both companies have interests in a variety of blockchain and digital asset businesses and significant holdings of digital assets, including bitcoin. CoinDesk operates as an independent subsidiary with an editorial committee to protect journalistic independence. CoinDesk employees, including journalists, may receive options in the Bullish group as part of their compensation.

Zack Seward

Zack Seward is CoinDesk’s contributing editor-at-large.


Learn more about Consensus 2024, CoinDesk's longest-running and most influential event that brings together all sides of crypto, blockchain and Web3. Head to consensus.coindesk.com to register and buy your pass now.


Read more about