Nike to remain NBA’s exclusive uniform, apparel provider on new 12-year contract extension

Nike and the NBA have agreed on a 12-year contract extension that will keep the company as the league’s exclusive uniform and apparel provider, along with the WNBA and the G League, the company told The Athletic. The NBA and Nike finalized the deal this summer.

The deal will allow Nike to continue creating and manufacturing NBA and WNBA jerseys, as well the All-Star Game jerseys for both leagues. Nike will also make on-court and fan apparel for the leagues.

“We had common alignment from the very beginning, a common and shared goal to continue growing basketball on a global basis, across boys, girls, grassroots elite players, and of course, all through the NBA,” said Sal LaRocca, the NBA’s president of global partnerships. “So it was an easy decision, from our perspective, to, in fact, extend with Nike for another 12 years.” The NBA declined to disclose financial terms.

Nike has been the NBA’s global merchandise partner since the start of the 2017-18 season, after they struck a deal in 2015 to replace Adidas. Nike said this latest contract would also include new content plans as well.

NBA commissioner Adam Silver said Nike is “inextricably linked to basketball” and credited the company for helping fuel the growth of the sport. WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert echoed those sentiments.

“Since our league’s inception, Nike has committed to a shared vision for girls and women’s basketball,” Engelbert said. “Our continued partnership is an opportunity to fortify avenues for development and enhance touchpoints across our dynamic fanbase while globally showcasing the WNBA.”

The company also extended its group license agreement with the National Basketball Players Association.

“The best thing about this partnership is we continue to push each other to create, to do new things, and in listening to both the league and the voice of the athlete, innovation is at the forefront of everything that we do,” said Tanya Hvizdak, Nike’s VP for global athlete sports marketing. “So you can expect incredible things as we look forward.”

The extension will also keep Nike in business with the WNBA, which has become one of the league’s core relationships.

Nike has been the WNBA’s marketing partner since its launch in 1997 and is one of the WNBA’s Changemaker partners, a group of core business partners for the league. It invested $25 million into the league in its 2022 capital raise, according to multiple league and industry sources.

The WNBA has been on the ascent this year and Nike has been a beneficiary. Liberty star Sabrina Ionescu has had one of the four best-selling signature sneakers on the market, Hvizdak said. The league’s online store has seen a 801 percent year-over-year jump in WNBA jersey sales.

“Nike has always been more than a league sponsor — we’re a strategic partner with an unwavering commitment to growing the game, alongside the NBA, WNBA and NBA G League,” said Elliott Hill, Nike’s new president and CEO, in a statement.

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(Photo: Kirby Lee / USA Today)