MPL ID teams up with NBA to bridge esports and traditional sports culture

The Mobile Legends: Bang Bang Professional League Indonesia (MPL ID) has made an ambitious move by collaborating with the National Basketball Association (NBA). The partnership aims to bridge both esports and traditional sports culture.

However, even before this collaboration, the two industries had shown signs of convergence. Professional athletes have increasingly engaged with gaming communities, either as casual players, streamers, or even investors in esports teams. 

Similarly, esports organizations have adopted elements of traditional sports branding, such as team uniforms, fan merchandise, and structured league systems, to cultivate a similar sense of loyalty and competition.

The collaboration was first revealed during the MPL ID Season 15 Week 5, where NBA-themed decorations were seen in the venue. This included elements that basketball fans—or traditional sports enthusiasts in general—would instantly recognize, such as iconic theme songs, game buzzers, and even arcade-style basketball hoops set up around the venue. 

But what is the point of this collaboration? Marketing and Business Development Lead for Indonesia Esports at MOONTON Games, Martinus Manurung, shared the motivation behind this partnership through a group interview.

"And we've always taken into account that traditional sports are like our big brother, big sister markets. We've always used them as references, especially the NBA and basketball, because it's technically five-versus-five; also, you have specific roles, and the objective is very clear. And then, of course, the franchise model from the NBA has always been something that we've learned a lot (from)." 

According to Manurung, this collaboration was under discussion for two years. It was not until recently that the partnership was finalized.

MPL ID is a powerhouse when it comes to viewership and fanbase, consistently breaking records across streaming platforms and dominating the esports scene in Southeast Asia.

Season 15 peaked at 2 million viewership and has the potential to go higher as the tournament continues. Every season, MPL ID consistently gets millions of views per match. This region has one of the most dedicated fan bases — a perfect foundation for collaborations like this NBA partnership to thrive and reach even broader audiences.

Manurung shared how this massive influence led to the partnership with the NBA. 

“MPL has penetrated so many people in Indonesia. I think the scale of our influence is one of the things that many of the brands and also partners, maybe like the NBA, are looking into. Also, our credibility. We’ve been a professional league since 2018, and we’ve consistently grown.”

Jordan Adams, a former NBA star who now plays for the Indonesian basketball team Dewa United Banten, backed Manurung’s statement. According to him, many esports fans in Indonesia are also fans of traditional sports like basketball.

“What I know about esports, I know it’s very big here in Indonesia. As far as my club, Dewa, we have a very good esports team, and we have a lot of athletes. I see those guys all the time, and they come to our games as well. So, it’s a tight community. They’re like us as far as they take it very seriously.”

While the MPL ID x NBA collaboration is a landmark moment highlighting the synergy between basketball and esports, it doesn’t have to stop there. Manurung shared how MPL ID is open to cross-industry partnerships, and this move could pave the way for future collaborations with other traditional sports.

“We’re actually quite open to working with other leagues, especially the English Premier League. Also, F1 or MotoGP.”

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