Despite some concerns about how the microtransactions play a part in the series, the NBA 2K franchise has still performed incredibly well, selling millions of copies and becoming a household favorite with athletes and fans alike. So it should be no surprise then that 2K and the NBA will keep their partnership going.
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The groups, alongside the NBPA (National Basketball Players Association) have announced that they will continue to work together through the next seven years, in a deal that is reportedly worth an estimated $1.1 billion. That’s easily one of the biggest we’ve ever seen when it comes to a sports franchise, or any given franchise for that matter.
NBA 2K has performed quite well over the years, selling over 86 million copies across the board since its initial start way back in the Dreamcast days. NBA 2K19 has continued to be a peak performer for the publisher, doing well on all platforms, including the Nintendo Switch.
2K is thrilled with the deal and believes it’ll be beneficial for all parties in the years to come. Strauss Zelnick, who serves as chairman and CEO for Take-Two (who owns 2K), noted, “The NBA has been an outstanding partner throughout the history of the NBA 2K franchise, contributing significantly to its unparalleled success and the ability to grow its audience around the world across a myriad of platforms and offerings. We’re thrilled to be in business with Adam and the entire team at the NBA, and enter into the longest-ever partnership extension between our organizations. Together, we’re confident that we will continue to find new and innovative ways to captivate and engage basketball fans, and expand further the success of the NBA 2K brand.”
There’s a good chance that, because of the landmark deal, the forthcoming NBA 2K20 could be one of the biggest in the series to date, though it’s unknown just what the publisher has planned for it just yet, since it’s still riding high on the success of NBA 2K19.
Along with the traditional NBA 2K games, the deal also covers the NBA 2K Online titles that are doing quite well overseas. No word yet if it covers Saber Interactive’s recently released NBA 2K Playgrounds 2, but we don’t see why it wouldn’t.
NBA 2K19 is available now for Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch and PC.
Are you pleased with this new deal between the NBA and 2K? Let me know why (or why not) on Twitter at @TheDCD!
