The National Basketball Association (NBA) is entering into an agreement with fintech company Ant Group, a Chinese global tech provider, to help promote the league to fans in China.
The joint effort will primarily focus on joint marketing campaigns, digital collectibles, and video content. Specifically, fans in China can access NBA video content via Alipay, a payment app owned by Any Group.
A visitor walks by the NBA booth during the first China International Consumer Products Expo at Hainan International Convention and Exhibition Center on May 8, 2021, in Haikou, Hainan Province of China. (Zhang Mao/VCG via Getty Images)
The NBA is wildly popular in China, and the league makes a considerable amount of money broadcasting its games and selling its merchandise to the communist country. Though, that relationship has seen significant strain in recent years. In 2019, then-Rockets General Manager Daryl Morey tweeted a message of support for pro-democracy demonstrators in Hong Kong just before the league was set to play several games in China.
“Fight for Freedom. Stand with Hong Kong,” Morey tweeted.
The Chinese government reacted angrily and pulled the scheduled NBA games from CCTV. Morey eventually deleted the tweet and said he meant no offense to the Chinese people. The NBA characterized Morey’s tweet as “regrettable” and lamented the “disharmony” the incident had created for their Chinese business partners.
Visitors play basketball at the NBA booth during the first China International Consumer Products Expo at Hainan International Convention and Exhibition Center on May 7, 2021, in Haikou, Hainan Province of China. (Cui Nan/China News Service via Getty Images)
The Chinese enforced a blackout of NBA games in China that lasted 18 months and was lifted in March of 2022.
In recent years, the NBA had a chance to make amends with their Chinese benefactors when former Boston Celtic Enes Kanter Freedom began wearing sneakers protesting Chinese oppression of Tibet and Uyghur Muslims. As a result, Kanter Freedom had his playing time slashed to almost zero and was subsequently traded to the Rockets, who promptly cut him.
Kanter Freedom has not played since the 2021 season.
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