Key Points
- The NBPA launched Plyrs Untd, a consumer brand replacing Think450.
- It shifts from licensing player rights to events, content, and direct fan deals.
- The "Own the Game" campaign is narrated by Kyrie Irving, featuring Curry and Brunson.
- The NBPA reported $291 million in revenue in 2024 across 50-plus licenses.
The NBA's players have spent a decade learning that the most valuable asset in the league is their own name. On June 22, their union acted on it: the National Basketball Players Association launched Plyrs Untd, a consumer-facing commercial brand built to own the relationship with fans rather than rent it out one license at a time.
What it replaces
Plyrs Untd takes over from Think450, the NBPA's licensing arm established in 2017, and reframes the mandate. Where Think450 sold player rights to third parties, Plyrs Untd is built around events, original content, and direct partnerships — the union building equity in a brand of its own. "Consumers do not know our brand, but consumers obviously know our guys," NBPA executive director David Kelly said, which is the whole thesis in one line.
The rollout
The launch leads with "Own the Game," a campaign narrated by Kyrie Irving and featuring Stephen Curry, Jalen Brunson, Donovan Mitchell, and Jaylen Brown — Brunson among them, fresh off a Finals MVP run that included the Knicks' record comeback over the Spurs. Around it sit Plyrs House, an invite-only club of 1,800 during All-Star weekend; a content series with Enjoy Basketball called "State of the Game"; and a new Los Angeles practice and performance center opening this summer. The business underneath is already sizable — the NBPA reported $291 million in revenue in 2024 across more than 50 licenses with partners including EA Sports, Fanatics, Nike, and Wilson.
A union acting like a brand owner
This is a labor body behaving like a brand owner. The shift from licensing rights to owning the consumer relationship is the same move artists and creators have made to claw back margin from the platforms that distribute them — and for a union whose members are the product, it is a bet that the players are worth more selling themselves than being sold.
Source: Sportico
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