NBL and KOJO Launch 2025/26 Season with New Brand Platform

The National Basketball League (NBL) has opened its 2025/26 season with the rollout of a new brand platform and national television campaign, signalling its ambition to grow beyond the court and position itself more firmly within the cultural and entertainment landscape.

Targeting Younger Audiences

The campaign, developed by long-term creative partner KOJO, debuted on 5 September across national TV and will extend across social, radio, and live event channels. At its core, the strategy seeks to frame the NBL as a lifestyle brand, aiming to deepen engagement with younger audiences shaped by digital culture and content consumption.

For the league, the move reflects broader commercial objectives. Expanding the NBL’s identity beyond sport provides opportunities to attract non-traditional sponsors, align with lifestyle and fashion brands, and strengthen its international profile.

Expressing enthusiasm for the new platform, NBL Chief Fans Officer, Ted Helliar said: “The NBL has always been about more than basketball; it’s about the energy, the identity, and the culture that surrounds it. This season’s campaign captures that spirit perfectly.”

“It’s bold, it’s unapologetic, and it reflects exactly who we are as a league and where we’re heading: global, exciting, and relentlessly connected to our fans,” Helliar said.

Noting the intent behind the creative, KOJO Group General Manager, Chantella Perera, added: “The campaign is about the NBL being more than a game; it’s about culture, connection, and identity. We wanted to capture the hype and energy that surrounds every NBL moment and share it with a global audience.”

Positioning the NBL as a Cultural Leader

The centrepiece of the campaign is a cinematic television commercial combining in-game highlights, user-generated content, and off-court imagery. While the creative treatment targets fans, its wider purpose lies in positioning the NBL as a cultural property attractive to broadcasters and commercial partners competing for younger demographics.

The campaign also underscores the league’s efforts to continue differentiating itself in a competitive Australian sporting market. With football codes and cricket vying for broadcast dominance, the NBL’s positioning as a “cultural movement” represents a strategy to secure relevance not just in sport but in entertainment and lifestyle sectors.

As the NBL looks to build on the momentum of increased attendances and broadcast reach in recent years, the effectiveness of this campaign will likely be measured not only in ticket sales but also in its ability to attract commercial partnerships that value brand alignment as much as audience numbers.

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