NBA and Coca-Cola Reunite with Global Sprite Partnership
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The NBA and Coca-Cola announce a global partnership, returning Sprite® as the league’s Official Global Soft Drink Partner.
The National Basketball Association and The Coca-Cola Company announced a new global marketing partnership that brings Sprite back as the league's Official Global Soft Drink Partner. The agreement marks the return of one of the NBA's most iconic brand collaborations, reuniting two names that have shared a deep connection to basketball culture for decades.
Sprite, the world's leading lemon-lime soft drink, will serve as the exclusive soft drink partner of the NBA across a global footprint. The partnership restores a relationship that shaped basketball culture across multiple continents and generations.
Decades of Shared History
The Coca-Cola Company first partnered with the NBA in 1986. For nearly three decades, Sprite helped shape how basketball connects with fans across sport, music, fashion, and self-expression. The brand's cultural impact spans continents, from the iconic "Obey Your Thirst" campaign in North America to streetball tournaments in Asia, player-led collaborations in Latin America, and culture-driven activations across Europe and Africa.
Sprite served as title sponsor of the Slam Dunk Contest at NBA All-Star from 2003 to 2016. Together, Sprite and the NBA helped define how brands show up authentically in the culture surrounding the game.
"Sprite has always been a brand that celebrates individuality and self-expression, values that resonate deeply with basketball fans worldwide," said Kerry Tatlock, EVP Global Marketing Partnerships and Media at the NBA. "We're thrilled to welcome Sprite back to the NBA family and look forward to collaborating together on new ways for fans to experience the game."
Focus on Next Generation Fans
The renewed partnership focuses on creating new experiences for the next generation of basketball fans. The collaboration emphasizes experimentation with emerging formats and meeting fans where they are across digital and physical platforms.
"Basketball is central to the DNA of Sprite," said Manolo Arroyo, EVP and Global Chief Marketing Officer at The Coca-Cola Company. "Reuniting with the NBA is about co-creating what's next, experimenting with new fan experiences, exploring emerging formats and meeting the next generation where they are. Basketball is not just a game; it's a global cultural engine, and Sprite, together with the NBA, will help to fuel the moments and memories that drive it."
Partnership Activation
Under the new agreement, Sprite will activate across the NBA's biggest global stages, including league tentpole moments and international events like NBA Global Games. Fans will see immersive experiences, custom content series on NBA platforms, and exclusive promotions that bring them closer to NBA fandom.
The renewed collaboration builds on recent momentum, including the introduction of co-branded, limited-edition Sprite cans featuring select NBA teams in participating markets. The cans give fans a new way to celebrate local fandom and regional pride.
Through integrated global marketing campaigns, digital-first storytelling, retail programs, and in-market fan experiences, Sprite will connect the energy of basketball directly to refreshment. The partnership builds on Sprite's existing relationships with the NBA family, which include team partnerships with 17 NBA teams.
Athlete Partnerships
Deepening its commitment to athletes who embody bold originality and individuality, Sprite is continuing to build on its existing relationship with 2026 NBA All-Star Game MVP Anthony Edwards. The focus on athletes who represent self-expression aligns with Sprite's brand values and basketball culture.
NBA Global Reach
The NBA operates five professional sports leagues: the NBA, WNBA, NBA G League, NBA 2K League, and Basketball Africa League. The league has established a major international presence with games and programming available in 214 countries and territories in more than 50 languages. Merchandise is available in more than 200 countries and territories on all seven continents.
NBA rosters at the start of the 2025-26 season featured a record 135 international players from a record-tying 43 countries. The NBA's digital assets include NBA TV, NBA.com, the NBA App, and NBA League Pass. The league has created one of the largest social media communities in the world, with more than 2.5 billion likes and followers globally across all leagues, team, and player platforms.
The partnership reunites two global brands with shared histories in basketball culture, positioning both for continued growth as basketball's popularity expands worldwide. The collaboration leverages the NBA's massive global reach and Sprite's cultural credibility to create experiences that resonate with fans across generations and continents.