Skims, the shapewear brand of reality TV star Kim Kardashian, has secured a multi-year sponsorship deal with North America’s National Basketball Association (NBA).
Under the deal, Skims becomes the official underwear partner of the NBA, the Women’s National Basketball Association, and USA Basketball.
The brand will gain increased media exposure on the league’s platforms and on-court virtual ads during NBA and WNBA national broadcasts.
The pair will also collaborate during the league’s signature events, including the NBA and WNBA’s All-Star weekend and the NBA’s in-season tournament in December, as well as WNBA Live and the USA Basketball Showcase, which features exhibition matches involving the USA men’s and women’s national team.
NBA commissioner Adam Silver said: “Skims has quickly become one of our most culturally influential brands. We look forward to bringing NBA fans and Skims users unique experiences, new offerings, and premium products through our partnership.
“Together, Skims, the NBA, WNBA, and USA Basketball will leverage the power of basketball to generate excitement and demand, by showing up in unexpected ways.”
The deal comes a week after releasing its first-ever men’s collection featuring Oklahoma City Thunder player Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. The campaign also featured Brazilian soccer star Neymar and American football’s Nick Bosa.
Since its launch in 2019, Skims has expanded from offering shapewear for women to loungewear and now men’s underwear. In July it announced a $270 million funding round led by investment management firm Wellington Management.
Jens Grede, Skim’s co-founder and chief executive, said: “The NBA’s modern approach and significant impact on pop culture, entertainment, and fashion is unparalleled in sports.
“Our partnership marks a remarkable opportunity for Skims and the NBA to work together on what it means to engage the next generation of fans through basketball.”
The NBA’s inaugural in-season tournament was announced as part of the league’s new collective bargaining agreement (CBA) struck in June. Similar to European soccer competitions like England’s FA Cup or Spain’s Copa del Rey, the tournament will consist of two stages – a group stage and a knockout stage, with all 30 teams participating in the group stage.
That will feature regular season games designated as tournament fixtures. Eight teams will then advance to a single elimination knockout stage based on their performance, culminating in one team being crowned champion.
Players on all four of the final teams will be compensated financially, and all of the games except for the championship decider will count as part of the 82-game regular season schedule.
