The NBA & Esports: Potential Value Chain Alignment
The NBA was the first professional sports league in North America to create and operate its own esports property: the NBA 2K League. In year one, seventeen NBA franchises formed NBA 2K gaming squads and competed in a full season of video game competition. In the context of the dynamic and evolving esports industry, the remaining thirteen NBA franchise owners had to decide if they would invest for season two. While considering factors such as branding, audience reach, complementarity of fans, and profitability, this case is designed for students to evaluate value chain alignment between an NBA franchise and an NBA 2K League team. This alignment analysis could help an NBA franchise owner decide if entrepreneurial investment in the billion dollar esports industry through the NBA 2K League is the right move.
