A revamped version of the esports league associated with the “NBA 2K” video game franchise launched Monday with a new focus on original entertainment programming featuring NBA players, content creators and celebrities.
Led by NBA Take-Two Media (NBAT2), a joint venture between the NBA and NBA 2K publisher Take-Two Interactive Software, the new NBA 2K League is described as an “innovative entertainment venue that blends competition and culture, where everyone from fans to NBA players and creators, regardless of their NBA 2K skill level, can play together, compete, and build community.”
Run by NBAT2 CEO Andrew Perlmutter, who has been working to reimagine the league since the changes were first announced in July 2024, the new 2KL will “feature original content that pits NBA players and creators against each other in unexpected environments. The season will also include online and in-person tournaments, as well as the first-ever open ladder competition that allows fans to join the action directly.”
Strauss Zelnick, CEO of Take-Two Interactive, told Variety that the “primary goal” of the league overhaul is “to serve the consumer and provide great entertainment at the intersection of basketball, NBA 2K, and general entertainment.”
NBA 2K
NBA 2K
“The idea is to show them a good time and make sure that good time is related to NBA 2K,” Zelnick said. “And the world of NBA 2K is huge. It’s not just a simulation game, it’s a lifestyle. It used to be that we would release a game and people would play it for a few months and then play it for the rest of their lives. Now, NBA 2K is a huge world. 2K reflects the cultural interest in all things basketball.When you attend a basketball game in person, you’re not just there to watch the game, you’re there to be with your friends.”You’re there for the intimacy and the experience, not just the game itself. So with NBA 2K, you have the game itself, you have a great sim, and you have everything that surrounds it. ”
The league named Jesser, a well-known streamer and fan of 2K, who boasts more than 35 million YouTube subscribers, as its “honorary commissioner.” Jesser, his team, and a board of celebrity guests will “serve as the supporting leadership of the league, working together to draft players, issue rulings, and keep everyone on their toes.”
“He’s a very reliable guy in basketball. He knows basketball,” Zelnick says of Jesser. “He knows the video game well and also plays the video game, so he’s very reliable when it comes to video games. And he’s a very funny guy. That’s what we’re trying to do here in a nutshell. Now, if we do it right, it’s going to generate a lot of revenue. And we’re a for-profit company, and so is the NBA. But our job is to engage and engage the consumer, and that’s what we want to do here. And I think Andrew reimagined it as a purely competitive game, and a lot of people watched it, but I think it’s much more interesting and more compelling if you reframe it as a competitive situation within a lifestyle.”
The first season of the new league begins on November 4th on the 2K League YouTube channel with “MyPLAYER Mayhem,” 2KL’s competitive reality series led by creators and players that reflects personalities, fanbases, and rivalries.
And starting November 16th, fans will be able to sign up for a new open ladder competition, “Next Fan Up.”
The league’s restart comes with a multi-year partnership agreement with the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA). This will allow the league to work directly with NBA players to “unlock greater opportunities to participate in 2KL and give NBAT2 the ability to develop stories around specific players.”
“The launch of the new NBA 2K League is an exciting step to engage the next generation of players, creators and fans,” said NBA Commissioner Adam Silver. “We are proud to support the evolution of 2K and the many ways the basketball community can connect with our sport.”
According to the new league description. “2KL is breaking boundaries by inviting everyone to join, starting with six teams: the Boston Celtics, Detroit Pistons, Memphis Grizzlies, Toronto Raptors, Utah Jazz, and Washington Wizards. They will be represented by a unique duo of creators and NBA players, including Kook2K, BeardaBeast, Kofi Yeboah, Grady Dick, and Duncan Robinson, as well as a select number of fans who stood up virtually throughout the season. They will take on a series of challenges on the court and at live events, providing a unique experience that showcases each player’s unfiltered personality.”
“We will be running an open contest for all 2K users,” NBAT2 CEO Andrew Perlmutter told Variety. “Therefore, any 2K user can belong to their favorite NBA team, and over the course of six months, those users will have the opportunity to earn points, move up the ranks on the leaderboard, and ultimately represent their favorite NBA team in official competitions. You may then be able to participate in some of the shows with NBA players and celebrities. And importantly, how much you play 2K and the various social media challenges is just as important as how good you are in earning these points.” “2K” So we widen the window of who can take advantage of their love for “2K,” their love for basketball culture and actually have an opportunity to join the league. We believe this kind of entertainment-oriented approach gives us access to moments of authentic, unfiltered competition and camaraderie, giving us the opportunity to create a world of entertainment that hits this intersection of cultures in a truly unique way. ”
