NBA 2K partners with One Up for on-demand amateur esports
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Take-Two Interactive and NBA 2K have signed a partnership with on-demand amateur esports platform One Up to increase access to tournaments with prize pools. The multi-year agreement will tip off after the release of NBA 2K24 on September 8, 2023.
One Up will organize several free-to-enter online tournaments hosted by NBA stars where U.S. players in 41 states can compete for cash prizes. Tournaments will be prompted in the game and will prompt users to download the One Up app to register. Additionally, One Up’s tournaments will also be promoted on NBA 2K’s official social channels.
This deal is not exclusive, so this increased visibility is a key value-add for One Up. NBA 2K’s stamp of approval also adds legitimacy and credibility to One Up’s platform.
The goal of the partnership is to create a pathway to competitive tournaments and substantial prize money. One Up plans to award at least $1 million in prize money, though it has not announced specifics yet. The company will provide a major portion of this prize pool itself, but did not provide an exact percentage.
“With this landmark NBA 2K deal, we want to lower the barrier of entry to esports tournaments,” said Brandon Pitts, CEO of One Up. “Our collaboration with 2K has laid the blueprint for helping publishers build game loyalty and community through tournaments that are truly open to all. At the end of the day, gamers want to compete to showcase their skills, and now they can do that and earn like the pros.”
Notably, this partnership is with the NBA 2K team only. As such, there are no plans for the professional-level NBA 2K League to promote One Up’s
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