The NBA 2K League has increasingly been attracting sponsors too. In MT 2K22 the current season, 14 of the NBA 2K League's partners in marketing were part of the partnership. The partnerships included five brand new ones with GameStop and Jostens and SAP, SAP, Tissot and Tissot. DoorDash was the official sponsor for the NBA 2K League Playoffs & Finals.

With a massive fan base and a rabid fan base, esports could be a pretty good commercial proposition. "Our fans share a passion for the sport that is an amazing value that brands are able to connect with" Donohue says. "Our average user plays 30 hours a week, gaming, so this is an incredibly passionate fan base."

Donohue believes the NBA 2K League's rapid growth in the number of partners is due an assortment of businesses that recognize esports as an emerging market, and a rapid rise in fan engagement. "I believe that this was going on in any case, but the increased engagement of fans is just putting fuel on the fire. It was the fact that every company we talked to about partnerships realized they need to be involved in esports and is just trying to figure this out.

However, companies should be aware of the risks when entering a completely new market like the esports industry. This is what Andre Iguodala, a former Golden State Warrior, once described as "the Wild Wild West".

For the NBA this was a gamble worth taking. Donohue states, "It's in 2K's DNA to be innovating." The coach also states that NBA owners "realize the future and this is only going to get bigger. So I believe there's a greater risk in Buy 2K MT not doing it rather than taking the initiative."