The National Basketball Association (NBA) has upped its efforts to grow the popularity of the sport and to boost support for NBA teams. Senegalese-born Amadou Gallo Fall, who previously worked for the Dallas Mavericks as director of player personnel and vice president of international affairs was recruited to lead the league’s operations on the continent. Fall’s mission is to develop basketball on the continent.

In 2010 the NBA opened its first African office in Johannesburg and identified five priority countries – South Africa, Kenya, Angola, Nigeria and Senegal – where the NBA’s initial efforts in Africa are being concentrated. By 2011 a big partnership with the Royal Bafokeng NBA Development Programme in the North West province of South Africa, more than 8,000 children had been introduced to the game; 18 refurbished and new courts had been built; three full-time coaches trained and appointed with 40 more in training; and it’s been introduced as a sixth sporting code at schools within the community.

A big part of the NBA strategy is to increase our television footprint. It is one thing for recruits to have courts and the relevant equipment they need to master the sport, but at the same time it is important to allow fans in general to be able to view NBA games, just like the rest of the globe. To achieve this, the NBA negotiated a television deal with South Africa’s public broadcaster, the SABC, to air NBA games as well as a basketball lifestyle show.

Strategy

Although at this initial stage NBA strategy will be more about growing the sport, increasing the fan base but ultimately there is a commercial aspect which will be pursued in time. NBA teams generate money from ticket sales, television contracts, merchandising and sponsorships. The NBA’s new focus on Africa is because it sees the continent as a source for future revenues. One of the avenues to generate revenues being pursued is having NBA teams come to African capitals and play exhibition games like they do in London, Istanbul, and Shanghai.