The National Basketball Association is in the early stages of reviewing its media buying and planning account, sources with knowledge of the process confirmed to AgencySpy.
Publicis Groupe media agency Spark Foundry is the incumbent on the account and declined to participate, according to sources with direct knowledge of the process. The NBA is working with consultancy MediaLink on the review process, sources said. MediaLink and Spark Foundry both declined to comment.
The NBA spent a little over $82 on media last year and nearly $26 million in the first half of 2020, according to Kantar Media. While the latter number is down around $30 million from what the league spent over that period last year, according to Kantar, it of course reflects a period following the NBA suspending its season in March after Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert tested positive for Covid-19. The review tips off as the NBA playoffs continue following player protests over the police shooting of Jacob Blake.
Steve Stoute‘s Translation has served as creative agency of record for the NBA for nearly six years.