Nestlé has made its Milo, Nescau and Nesquik brands Official Partners of the NBA under a multiyear international marketing agreement covering 21 markets on four continents. The National Basketball Association and Nestlé announced the deal on 7 October 2026. It comes into effect on 1 January 2027, and the announcement, published by both Nestlé and the NBA, describes it as Nestlé’s largest international brand collaboration to date.

The markets are Australia, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, France, Germany, Ghana, Italy, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Nigeria, Singapore, Spain, Thailand, Turkey, the United Kingdom, the United States and Vietnam, with the Philippines joining in October 2027. India is not on the list.

What the partnership covers

The agreement covers retail programmes and in-market fan experiences, on-pack promotions carrying NBA branding, and consumer prizes including NBA tickets and merchandise. The brands will also be activated across NBA youth and development programmes, including Jr. NBA and Jr. WNBA, NBA Basketball School, the Jr. NBA and Jr. WNBA Coaches Academies, Her Time To Play and NBA 3X, and across select NBA events and fan engagement platforms, including NBA Global Games and NBA House. The two organisations said the agreement is designed to engage fans and inspire youth basketball participation around the world.

Together with the NBA, we will use the power of basketball to connect with consumers at scale, create locally relevant experiences and inspire more young people and families to get active and enjoy the game.

Liberato Milo, Senior Vice President, Head of Confectionery and Snacking Strategic Business Unit, Nestlé

Julie Morris, the NBA’s Senior Vice President of Commercial Development and Media, said the league looked forward to using Nestlé’s reach and local market presence to connect with fans in new ways and to support the growth of basketball.

Nestlé said the partnership reflects its strategy of focusing on fewer, larger global marketing platforms that can be activated consistently across markets while keeping local relevance. RetailDetail reported that, for the NBA, Nestlé’s global reach is a way to promote the league outside North America.

What has not been disclosed

Neither party has disclosed the financial terms or the exact length of the agreement. Swissinfo, carrying a Keystone-SDA report, said Nestlé had not disclosed the financial terms. The announcement does not say which of the three brands will lead in which market, how much Nestlé will spend on activation, or when NBA-branded packs will first reach shelves. It also does not say whether the deal changes any existing sports partnerships held by the brands.

F&B Today’s reading

  • Analysis for UK retailers and rival brands: the UK is one of the launch markets, so buyers can expect NBA-branded promotions from Nestlé’s participating brands from 2027. Retailers will want the promotional calendar early to plan space, and rival flavoured drink and milk brands should plan their own activity around it.
  • Analysis for packaging and print suppliers: on-pack promotions across 20 markets from January 2027, with the Philippines later, mean licensed artwork, competition mechanics and short promotional runs. Suppliers to Nestlé should expect briefs well ahead of the start date.
  • Analysis for brand owners: Nestlé’s stated focus on fewer, larger global platforms puts three brands behind one sports property. Smaller rivals cannot match that scale, but can compete through local sport and community activity in places the NBA programmes do not reach.