LAGOS, NIGERIA – UnitedMasters and the National Basketball Association (NBA) today announced plans to expand their existing collaboration across Africa by leveraging the popularity of music, basketball and the NBA on the continent to showcase African musicians and positively impact African youth.

UnitedMasters’ collaboration with NBA Africa will empower independent musicians by providing UnitedMasters artists with the opportunity to have their music featured across the league’s social media channels in Africa.  The relationship will connect artists with NBA Africa, resulting in access to African audiences and the ability for artists to amplify their music to fans across the continent.

The announcement builds on the NBA and UnitedMasters’ relationship that began in 2018 and comes as UnitedMasters this week expands its platform in Nigeria, where NBA Africa also has a dedicated office that supports the league’s basketball and business development initiatives in the country, including grassroots basketball development programming and social responsibility efforts that improve the lives of Nigerian youth and families.

“Our collaboration with the NBA has been since day one a great articulation of our company at its best: finding the shared value between sports and music, to the benefit of both,” said UnitedMasters CEO Steve Stoute.  “As UnitedMasters expands into Africa, deepening our collaboration only makes sense: the audience appeal of each is a huge opportunity for the other.  Together, we’re ensuring breakthrough Nigerian artists can access a global stage in an instant, while at the same time allowing the league to align directly with the tastes and ambitions of their next two billion fans.”

“We’re excited to expand our collaboration with UnitedMasters, who share our commitment to inspiring and connecting youth across Africa and around the world,” said NBA Vice President & Country Head of Nigeria, Gbemisola Abudu.  “As we continue to integrate the NBA into the key pillars of culture in Nigeria, we believe this relationship will enable us to showcase the tremendous passion for music and basketball on the continent and bring fans together around their shared love of both.”

In November, NBA Africa held the second edition of “NBA Meets Art” in Lagos to celebrate basketball through the lens of Nigerian art and culture.  For this year’s edition, NBA Africa collaborated with Nigerian artist Dennis Osadebe to curate an installation that focused on the essence of community and togetherness that basketball fosters.  Last February, several Nigerian superstars – GRAMMY^® Award-winning singer, songwriter and record producer Burna Boy, GRAMMY Award-winning singer and Oscar-nominated singer and producer Tems, and rapper and singer Rema – headlined the NBA All-Star Game halftime show with an Afrobeats-themed performance.

About UnitedMasters
UnitedMasters is the leading software and services platform for independent artists.  Through our unique mix of premium music distribution services, innovative technology, and first-of-its-kind artist marketing solutions, UnitedMasters acts as the operating system that enables artists to own their futures.  We fuel the careers of artists like Tobe Nwigwe, Brent Faiyaz and Liana Banks — and unlike traditional record labels, UnitedMasters artists retain full ownership of their careers and the master recording rights to their music.  We connect the 1.9M+ independent artists on our platform with global brands like ESPN, Diageo and Pepsi.  These connections are powered by our world-class creative talent to propel the commercial success of artists and brands in today’s world.

About NBA Africa
NBA Africa is an affiliate of the National Basketball Association (NBA), a global sports and media organization with the mission to inspire and connect people everywhere through the power of basketball.  NBA Africa conducts the league’s business in Africa, including the Basketball Africa League (BAL), and has opened subsidiary offices in Cairo, Egypt; Dakar, Senegal; Lagos, Nigeria; and Nairobi, Kenya.  The NBA has a long history in Africa and opened its African headquarters in Johannesburg, South Africa in 2010.  The league’s efforts on the continent have focused on increasing access to basketball and the NBA through youth and elite development, social responsibility, media distribution, corporate partnerships, NBA Africa Games, an NBA Store, the BAL, and more.

NBA games and programming are available in all 54 African countries, and the NBA has hosted three sold-out exhibition games on the continent since 2015.  The BAL, a partnership between the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) and NBA Africa, is a professional league featuring 12 club teams from across Africa that will tip off its fourth season in March 2024.  Fans can follow @NBA_Africa and @theBAL on Facebook, Instagram, X and YouTube.