TAB expands betting partnership with NBA in Australia

The NBA and TAB have announced an expanded partnership that will see the Australian betting operator become the official wagering partner of the league in Australia.

The multi-year partnership, which coincides with the start of the NBA’s 75th anniversary 2021-22 season, will help the two parties continue to deliver new gaming experiences to fans in Australia.

As part of the agreement, TAB will be featured across a host of the NBA’s digital platforms, including NBA.com and the NBA App, as well as NBA Australia’s Facebook and Twitter accounts.

TAB will also serve as the presenting partner of a localized version of NBA Pick‘Em, the NBA’s free-to-play (F2P) prediction game.

Similar F2P initiatives have proven successful in the rapidly-growing US betting space, incentivizing fans to engage with a league or sport in a gamified setting while creating a database of potential real-money users for operators.

“Fan engagement is the core of our partnership with TAB, a proven leader and innovator in the wagering space,” said NBA Asia EVP and managing director Scott Levy.

“The popularity of the NBA in Australia continues to grow, particularly amongst younger audiences,” added Tabcorp wagering and media managing director Adam Rytenskild.

“We have a strong focus on racing and this partnership strengthens TAB’s sport offering, which will enable us to introduce new customers to wagering and to racing.

“We look forward to working with the team at the NBA to provide our customers with a unique offering through outstanding products, promotions, and content.”

Tabcorp, the parent company of TAB, has partnered with the NBA on previous expansion initiatives, notably bringing NBA TV to retail and entertainment venues throughout Australia in 2019 via its Sky Channel.

In addition to the content- and engagement-focused elements of the partnership, TAB and the NBA will also work together to promote responsible wagering and protect the integrity of the game.