X Extends Partnership with NBA For Exclusive Content

X has announced the renewal of its multi-year partnership with the NBA, aiming to enhance its slate of exclusive content. The collaboration promises “new, innovative experiences” in 2025 and beyond, with specific details yet to be revealed.

The deal may include the introduction of features similar to X’s NFL portal, which allows users to track live games, stats, and standings seamlessly within the platform. Such integrations could make it easier for users to follow NBA events while encouraging in-app engagement – the NFL portal was a major success, and is likely going to become a template for similar collaborations further down the line, especially those that focus on X providing exclusive content that needs to be located in its own section of the platform.

Sports remain a cornerstone of activity on X, which reported earlier this year that sports discussions significantly outpace even politics on the platform. This habitual engagement has made X a go-to destination for real-time sports chatter, a competitive advantage that challenger apps like Threads or Bluesky have struggled to replicate so far due to their relative newness.

While X CEO Linda Yaccarino previously announced ambitions to transform X into a “video-first” platform, progress on exclusive content has been mixed. High-profile video partnerships with Tucker Carlson and Paris Hilton have been uneven, and no major platform changes have followed the announcement.

The expanded NBA partnership could mark the beginning of a renewed focus on exclusive video content, as X works to solidify its place as a premier destination for sports fans and media consumers alike. Given the success of platforms like TikTok, X may be moving to capitalise on the same audience, making the formal decision to actively support video-based content and creators in a more direct way.