• by Tanya Gazdik , Yesterday

Everyone loves chocolate milk -- especially basketball players, worldwide. 

So the deal making Nesquik, Milo and Nescau official partners of the NBA is fitting. 

Ad giant WPP estimates that sport attracts between 70% and 75% of all sponsorship dollars that brands spend globally, according to Quartz. 

The multiyear agreement begins Jan. 1 and spans a whopping 21 markets across four continents and marks Nestle's largest international brand collaboration to date.

“Rivals like PepsiCo, Coca-Cola and Hellmann's condiment maker Unilever have in recent years raced to strike marketing deals ‌with sports leagues and events that have strong Gen Z and Gen Alpha followings,” according to Reuters. “These shoppers tend to be more geared to fitness and nutrition, making them ideal targets for an industry keen to re-brand its products as healthy amid the rise of GLP-1 weight-loss drugs and movements like ‘Make America Healthy Again.’”

Athletes drink chocolate milk because it provides an ideal mix of carbohydrates, protein, and electrolytes for post-workout recovery. And that’s according to National Institutes for Health, not marketers.

The partnership reflects the company's strategy to focus on fewer, larger global marketing platforms that can be activated consistently across markets, ensuring local relevance, according to Nestle. 

“Nestle didn’t disclose the value of the NBA deal, which comes after a 2024 agreement to make KitKat the official chocolate bar of Formula 1,” according to Bloomberg. “Rivals have also struck agreements with global sporting leagues, including PepsiCo Inc.’s partnership with UEFA Champions League and Unilever Plc’s sponsorship of the latest FIFA World Cup.”

The partnership will include activations across select NBA youth basketball development programs and platforms.

As younger audiences become increasingly fragmented across digital platforms, sports franchises remain capable of delivering both scale and engagement, according to Reuters.