NBA TAKE-TWO MEDIA UNVEILS NEW NBA 2K LEAGUE

Rhea-AI Summary

NBA Take-Two Media (NASDAQ: TTWO) announced the re-launched NBA 2K League (2KL) on Nov 3, 2025, positioning 2KL as an entertainment-first gaming property that blends creators, NBA players, fans, live events and original content.

Key elements include a multi-year partnership with the NBPA, six inaugural teams (Boston, Detroit, Memphis, Toronto, Utah, Washington), Honorary Commissioner Jesser, a creator/player reality opener “MyPLAYER Mayhem” launching Nov 5, 2025, livestreamed tournaments on Nov 8–9 and Nov 15–16, and an open ladder “Next Fan Up” signup beginning Nov 16, 2025.

Positive

• Multi-year NBPA partnership announced on Nov 3, 2025
• Inaugural season launches with 6 teams representing NBA clubs
• MyPLAYER Mayhem premieres Nov 5, 2025 with creator-player reality format
• Livestreamed tournaments scheduled Nov 8–9 and Nov 15–16, 2025
• Open ladder "Next Fan Up" signup begins Nov 16, 2025

Negative

• Launch limited to 6 teams, potentially constraining early scale
• No financial terms disclosed for the NBPA multi-year partnership

Insights

Media and Sports Gaming Strategist

NBAT2 re-launches the NBA 2K League as an entertainment-first property with creator-led content and an NBPA partnership.

The announcement creates a cross‑platform entertainment and competitive property built around the NBA 2K franchise, original content, live tournaments and an open ladder that invites fan participation; it also secures a multi-year agreement with the NBPA, enabling direct player collaboration and storytelling. The league launches season content starting Nov. 5, 2025 with livestream tournaments on Nov. 8-9, 2025 and Nov. 15-16, 2025, and open-ladder signups beginning Nov. 16, 2025.

The business mechanism combines content distribution (YouTube, Twitch), creator influence (Honorary Commissioner Jesser with 35M+ subscribers) and direct player involvement via the NBPA deal to expand audience reach beyond traditional esports. Key dependencies and risks include audience conversion from passive viewers to active participants, the execution quality of live and online events, and sustained engagement beyond initial launch episodes; these are factual sensitivities stated in the release. Watch the early engagement metrics from the Nov. 5 debut and the two livestreamed tournaments on Nov. 8-9, 2025 and Nov. 15-16, 2025 as near-term indicators of traction, and monitor adoption of the open ladder after signups open on Nov. 16, 2025 for evidence of longer-term community growth.

New 2KL to blend competition, culture, and connection to introduce an immersive entertainment and gaming property

New League to feature influential sports creator Jesser as its Honorary Commissioner, plus original content and a first-ever open ladder competition

NEW YORK, Nov. 3, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- NBA Take-Two Media (NBAT2), the next chapter in the long-standing partnership between the National Basketball Association (NBA) and Take-Two Interactive Software (NASDAQ: TTWO), today announced the arrival of the newly re-launched NBA 2K League (2KL). The new 2KL is an innovative entertainment property where competition meets culture, bringing everyone from fans to NBA players and creators together to play, compete, and build community—no matter their NBA® 2K skill level.

Featuring original content that showcases NBA players and creators competing against each other in unexpected settings, the season will also include online and in-person tournaments, as well as a first-of-its-kind open-ladder competition that places fans directly in the action.

"With the new 2KL, we're building an entirely new type of entertainment universe that blends competition with content," said Andrew Perlmutter, CEO of NBAT2. "Filled with wild, wacky, unpredictable and emotionally resonant moments, we're extending the immensely popular world of NBA2K beyond competitive gaming and will show fans who their favorite athletes and creators are off the court."

The league launch is accompanied by a multi-year partnership agreement with the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA). NBAT2 can now work directly with NBA players to unlock greater opportunities to participate in the 2KL, giving NBAT2 the ability to develop stories around specific players.

The 2KL breaks boundaries by inviting everyone to participate and will launch with 6 teams: Boston Celtics, Detroit Pistons, Memphis Grizzlies, Toronto Raptors, Utah Jazz and Washington Wizards. Each team will be represented by a unique duo of creators and NBA players, including Zach 2K, BEARDABEAST, Kofie Yeboah, Gradey Dick, Alex Sarr and Duncan Robinson, as well as a select number of fans who have risen through the ranks of 2K gameplay. Throughout the season, they will face off in a series of challenges—on the virtual court and in live events—for one-of-a-kind experiences that showcase the unfiltered personalities of each player.

At the center of the 2KL is Jesser, its Honorary Commissioner. Having built a community of more than 35M YouTube subscribers, Jesser is known for his basketball-centric videos, collaborations with athletes, and long-time love for NBA 2K. Alongside a board of celebrity guests including Suni Lee and Demetrius Johnson, Jesser and his team will serve as the guiding force behind the league–working together to draft players, issue rulings and keep everyone on their toes.

The inaugural season tips off with "MyPLAYER Mayhem" – a creator and player-led 2KL competitive reality series that brings their personalities, fanbases, and rivalries into play. The debut episode will launch Wednesday, Nov. 5 on the 2K League YouTube channel and culminate in two, livestreamed tournaments on Twitch Nov. 8-9 and Nov. 15-16. This action-packed season opener will be followed by ongoing episodes dropping throughout the week and additional tournaments throughout the season.

Blending competition with entertainment, the new 2KL creates storylines and moments that are as unique and unexpected as the culture around the game.

Beginning Sunday, November 16, fans can sign up for "Next Fan Up," the groundbreaking, new open 2K ladder that gives any player, anywhere, the chance to compete alongside their favorite creators, NBA players and teams. Once registered, fans can choose to compete for their favorite NBA team and rise through the ranks in a series of gameplay and social media challenges.

For people who love basketball on and off the court, 2KL is an entertainment property where fans and players come together. For more information and to stay updated throughout the season, please visit nba2kleague.com and follow @nba2kleague on Instagram, Twitch and YouTube.

About NBA Take-Two Media
NBA Take-Two Media (NBAT2) is the next chapter in the long-standing partnership between the NBA and Take-Two Interactive Software (NASDAQ: TTWO). The place where basketball and culture collide, NBAT2 is a modern entertainment company that will bring fans and players together through competitive gaming, social-first content, original programming and live events. Created to celebrate basketball's unique role in culture, NBAT2 will produce stories and experiences across gaming, travel, music, fashion, food and more in partnership with tastemakers, athletes, creators and fans. The company is headquartered in Brooklyn, New York.

About the NBA
The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a global sports and media organization with the mission to inspire and connect people everywhere through the power of basketball.  Built around five professional sports leagues:  the NBA, WNBA, NBA G League, NBA 2K League and Basketball Africa League, the NBA has established a major international presence with games and programming available in 214 countries and territories in more than 50 languages, and merchandise for sale 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 NBA 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.  NBA Cares, the NBA's global social impact platform celebrating its 20^th year, drives change on issues facing fans and communities in the areas of health and wellness, civic engagement, social justice and inclusion, and sustainability.

About the NBPA
The National Basketball Players Association (NBPA) is the union for current professional basketball players in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Established in 1954, the NBPA's mission is to protect and advance the rights of our players. They are the game.

The NBPA advocates on behalf of the best interests of all NBA players, including negotiating collective bargaining agreements, filing grievances on behalf of the players, counseling players on benefits, and educating on post-NBA career opportunities. Business opportunities are generated by THINK450, the group licensing and partnership engine of the NBPA. With more than 80 active partnerships, THINK450 is dedicated to uncovering shared interests between players and leading brands to build more engaging collaborations.

The NBPA Foundation is dedicated to preserving the legacy of its members by supporting and assisting people, communities, and organizations worldwide. It spotlights and amplifies the global initiatives of professional basketball players, driving positive change through community building, charitable endeavors, and social entrepreneurship.

For more information, visit www.nbpa.com and follow @thenbpa on social.

About Take-Two Interactive Software
Headquartered in New York City, Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. is a leading developer, publisher, and marketer of interactive entertainment for consumers around the globe. We develop and publish products principally through Rockstar Games, 2K, and Zynga. Our strategy is to create hit entertainment experiences, delivered on every platform relevant to our audience through a variety of sound business models. Our pillars - creativity, innovation, and efficiency - guide us as we strive to create the highest quality, most captivating experiences for our consumers. The Company's common stock is publicly traded on NASDAQ under the symbol TTWO.  For more corporate and product information please visit our website at http://www.take2games.com.

Developed by Visual Concepts, NBA 2K26 is rated E for Everyone from the ESRB.

All trademarks and copyrights contained herein are the property of their respective holders.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
The statements contained herein, which are not historical facts, including statements relating to Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc.'s ("Take-Two," the "Company," "we," "us," or similar pronouns) outlook, are considered forward-looking statements under federal securities laws and may be identified by words such as "anticipates," "believes," "estimates," "expects," "intends," "plans," "potential," "predicts," "projects," "seeks," "should," "will," or words of similar meaning and include, but are not limited to, statements regarding the outlook for our future business and financial performance. Such forward-looking statements are based on the current beliefs of our management as well as assumptions made by and information currently available to them, which are subject to inherent uncertainties, risks, and changes in circumstances that are difficult to predict. Actual outcomes and results may vary materially from these forward-looking statements based on a variety of risks and uncertainties including risks relating to the timely release and significant market acceptance of our games; the risks of conducting business internationally, including as a result of unforeseen geopolitical events; the impact of changes in interest rates by the Federal Reserve and other central banks, including on our short-term investment portfolio; the impact of inflation; volatility in foreign currency exchange rates; our dependence on key management and product development personnel; our dependence on our NBA 2K and Grand Theft Auto products and our ability to develop other hit titles; our ability to leverage opportunities on PlayStation®5 and Xbox Series X|S; factors affecting our mobile business, such as player acquisition costs; and the ability to maintain acceptable pricing levels on our games.

Other important factors and information are contained in the Company's most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K, including the risks summarized in the section entitled "Risk Factors," the Company's most recent Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, and the Company's other periodic filings with the SEC, which can be accessed at www.take2games.com. All forward-looking statements are qualified by these cautionary statements and apply only as of the date they are made. The Company undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

Media Contact
NBAT2@derris.com

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/nba-take-two-media-unveils-new-nba-2k-league-302602632.html

SOURCE NBA Take-Two Media

FAQ

What did NBA Take-Two Media (TTWO) announce on Nov 3, 2025 about NBA 2K League?

NBA Take-Two Media announced the re-launched NBA 2K League (2KL) with a multi-year NBPA partnership and a new creator-driven entertainment format.

When does the new NBA 2K League season start and when is MyPLAYER Mayhem released?

The inaugural season content begins with MyPLAYER Mayhem on Nov 5, 2025, followed by tournament livestreams Nov 8–9 and Nov 15–16, 2025.

How can fans join the NBA 2K League open ladder announced by TTWO and when does sign-up open?

Fans can register for the open ladder “Next Fan Up,” with sign-ups opening on Nov 16, 2025 to compete alongside creators and NBA players.

Which NBA clubs are represented in the 2KL inaugural six-team launch?

The six teams represent Boston, Detroit, Memphis, Toronto, Utah, and Washington.

Who is the Honorary Commissioner of the new NBA 2K League and what is his role?

Jesser serves as Honorary Commissioner and will help draft players, issue rulings, and guide league storylines.

Did TTWO disclose financial terms for the NBPA partnership in the Nov 3, 2025 announcement?

No; the announcement confirms a multi-year NBPA partnership but does not disclose financial terms.