New NBA league marks growing U.S. influence in African culture markets

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New NBA league marks growing U.S. influence in African culture markets




Satou Diop dribbles the ball as she takes part in an NBA Academy Africa basketball camp at Maurice Ndiaye Stadium in Dakar on May 11, 2018.
An NBA Academy Africa basketball camp at Maurice Ndiaye Stadium, in Dakar, Senegal, on May 11, 2018. Photo: Seyllou/AFP via Getty Images



The NBA announced last month that it would launch the Basketball African League (BAL), marking another advancement for U.S. commercial influence in African markets.

Why it matters: China's development of large infrastructure projects in Africa is often cited as evidence of the country's dominance in its economic rivalry with the U.S. But the U.S. continues to make gains in the creative industries on the continent, as entertainment, media, and sports are becoming more important to Africa’s young, urban and increasingly connected population.  


Background: The BAL announcement comes after decades of NBA involvement in Africa. Since 2003, the NBA has held Basketball Without Borders events, its primary development and community outreach program, across the continent, and in 2017 opened The NBA Academy Africa in Senegal to train elite male and female prospects.

NBA’s commitment has led to more than 80 current and former NBA players either from Africa or with direct ties to the continent.

What they're saying: In a statement about BAL, NBA commissioner Adam Silver said that the league is "committed to using basketball as an economic engine to create new opportunities in sports, media and technology across Africa."

In 2016, the league reached a multi-year deal with Econet Media to broadcast over 500 NBA and WNBA games each season.

Additionally, the league brought the game’s biggest players to South Africa for the All-Star NBA Africa game in 2015, 2017 and 2018.

The big picture: The NBA isn't the only U.S. company looking to tap into Africa’s growing media and entertainment markets. In December, Netflix declared plans to invest in original series from Africa, and in February announced its order of a South African teen series titled “Blood & Water.”

Netflix's decision came after Hollywood saw unprecedented success with Black Panther, which received a warm welcome and sold out movie theaters across the continent.

The bottom line: The BAL is an investment in strengthening American goodwill in African countries and could herald future U.S.–African partnerships in sports and entertainment.


bob
MY NOTE: Addressing one point made in this article: speaking as someone who spent 5 months last year in Africa I can absolutely, positively confirm China is in there, BIG-TIME. Roads, bridges, Ports are being built by Chinese companies, much of which is being financed by World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF), and when they have a job site they have BIG banners up with their names on it. They built a main road in/out of Nairobi and are building overpasses over that road with sayings like ""China Road and Bridge Company Hopes You Drive Safely" on the sides of the overpasses facing the traffic. They are buying up diamond and other strategic metal mines in Namibia. They are building out the port of Dar es Salaam in Tanzania.


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China's footprint was destined to spread. However the USA investment in Africa is still the most of any country. Last year the US made more (FDI) foreign Direct investments than any country.

A lot has changed. Back in the early 70's I remember an African Economics class that I took at UMASS and the one theme that stood out was the lack of Investment in developing countries (even back then the language that called Africa a third world country had been redefined to refer to Africa as developing economies) not third world.

The NBA's global footprint is as much about sports as it is about culture.

I think one of the most important things for the health and welfare of any country is a well educated female population. Take that away and you have a poor broke down country.

Off the path here a bit.

love and basketball!