MrBeast's Snack Company Feastables Becomes The Jersey Sponsor for The NBA's Charlotte Hornets
NBA
The NBA's Charlotte Hornets made headlines this week with the announcement of a new partnership with Feastables, the snack company founded by mega YouTuber and entrepreneur, MrBeast. Feastables will become their official jersey sponsor for the upcoming basketball season. This marks a first-of-its-kind partnership between a creator-led brand and an NBA franchise.
NBA
Inside the Deal
The Feastables logo will be prominently displayed on the Hornets' uniforms. But it doesn't stop there; the logo will also appear on uniforms for other teams associated with the franchise, such as the NBA G League's Greensboro Swarm and the NBA 2K League's esports team, Hornets Venom GT.
Feastables branding will also be featured on media backdrops during Hornets' press conferences and interviews. The two entities will work together on various digital media, content creation, and marketing initiatives.
A Win-Win Collaboration
A Milestone Moment for MrBeast
This partnership is a significant milestone in MrBeast's creator-entrepreneur journey. By becoming the official jersey sponsor of an NBA franchise, Feastables joins the ranks of global giants like Walt Disney World (Disney) and PayPal.
While MrBeast and Feastables already have a massive social media following, this collaboration will expand their reach to mainstream audiences. Additionally, with the launch of new Feastables products soon, MrBeast will be able to maximize awareness for these launches through both his own channels and the Hornets' touchpoints, ranging from social to the games themselves.
Lastly, it is another way MrBeast is staying connected to his home state of North Carolina. Last year, he and East Carolina University announced a credential program to prepare students to work in the creator economy.
Expanding the Hornets' Fan Base
The Hornets have a lot to gain by expanding their fan base, particularly among the younger audience who are avid MrBeast fans. MrBeast's dedicated following tends to support his endorsed ventures, making this collaboration a significant opportunity for the Hornets to reach new fans.
Moreover, it can also serve as a platform to boost the profile of Hornets players, including NBA All-Star LaMelo Ball, as there will likely be content collaborations between MrBeast and players across the team.
With Michael Jordan, the majority owner of the team for 13 years, ending his ownership due to new owners, this also appears to be a way for the team to find its new associated celebrity. MrBeast, who reaches a much younger demographic than the legendary Chicago Bulls player, provides a dynamic opportunity for the Hornets to make a splash and push the boundaries of digital innovation in the NBA.
Setting The Stage For More Creator-Led Brands
Creators like MrBeast have found success with their own brands, especially in the food and beverage space, by combining their dynamic talents with proven strategies and tactics used by established brands. This serves as a prime example of how creators need to expand beyond social media to compete with long-standing brands — in MrBeast’s case, Hershey's.
This also sets the stage for other prominent creator-led brands to enter the arena. One brand that immediately comes to mind is Jake Paul and KSI's PRIME. The beverage brand recently achieved its own historic milestone by becoming the first creator-led brand to run a Super Bowl commercial. It also already secured various sports partnerships, including with Barcelona, Arsenal, Bayern Munich, the Los Angeles Dodgers, and the UFC.
NBA jersey sponsorships often come with substantial price tags. However, creators at the level of MrBeast can potentially negotiate better deals by leveraging their social media, marketing, community-building, and distribution skills. These opportunities can be more valuable than a monetary sum for sports teams, and creators bring innovation and additional value that traditional companies may lack.
The Larger Story
This is just one chapter of a larger story that is unfolding - the intersection of creators and sports converging. We have witnessed various instances this year alone, such as YouTube's inclusion of creators in its NFL Sunday Ticket Deal, Deion Sanders Jr. sharing behind-the-scenes stories of his father and the Colorado Football team, ESPN's multi-year deal with Pat McAfee, and Taylor Swift introducing a new audience to the NFL. Additionally, media companies like Paramount and The Arena Group have launched new offerings that bring creators and brands to develop content for sports publishers, events, moments, and more.
