The Jr NBA ‘At Home’ platform, which launched on 20 March under the league’s umbrella #NBATogether pandemic response initiative, has expand into longer-form workouts fronted and taught by NBA and WNBA stars and staff.
The league’s child-targeted instructional series debuted on 21 April and features slightly longer-form workouts showcasing drills and exercises for limited spaces.
The specific objective is to offer kids with pent up energy whilst staying at home a new outlet from the NBA which promotes health and exercise and teaches skills.
While the wider objective is to focus is on keeping people healthy and connected and bringing people across the globe together in a unique way.
With no physical events or camps during lockdown, the instructional videos seek to help guide coaching curriculums for youth players across the globe and each video is subtitled for the respective language (some use a multi-lingual player).
Building on from the success of its initial series of short-form videos (which were fronted by stars such as Memphis Grizzlies forward Jaren Jackson Jr, Dallas Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle and former Charlotte Hornets guard Muggsy Bogues), the NBA now aims to create a more expansive offering for older and more advanced players aged 6 to 18-years-old.
The new wave of videos are 15 minutes long and drop each Tuesday on YouTube after which they are published across all Jr NBA social channels.
Following a soft launch video on 15 April with Minnesota Timberwolves guard Malik Beasley, the first full spot debuted on 21 April and features Orlando guard Michael Carter Williams
“This time of year, we usually have kids playing with teammates, and we’re running an extensive calendar of camps and clinics,” explained NBA Senior VP & Head Of Youth Development David Krichavsky. In the current climate, we need to serve the community in different ways, so we pivoted quickly to develop Jr. NBA at Home.”
“There was a great response from young people of the at-home skills and drills,” Krichavsky continued. “But we also heard the demand from players for longer-form content. We took inspiration from the players we all see working out at home and the work they’re doing to stay fit despite the limitations.”
Krichavsky also said that thus far there has been excellent buy-in from WNBA and NBA players and staff and the league hasn’t yet looked too heavily at integrating commercial partners, but that this might follow next to fund further expansion.
Outcome:
The Jr NBA At-Home platform has engaged fans in at least 72 countries and generated 57 million views across its social channels – including 12 million in China alone – since launching on 20 March and impressive engagement statistic in such a short space of time.
The league’s umbrella NBATogether campaign seeks to unify the global basketball community during the pandemic and in total it has contributed more than $80m in response to COVID-19 and 5 million meals.
Comment:
The creative is sensibly straightforward and practical making it simple to follow to maximise global participation.
Plus it smartly avoids talking down to or patronising its young audience.
With a youth program in 72 countries, the NBA has boosted its reach and engagement with youngsters around the world during the COVID-19 crisis and has established a platform which will offer opportunities to grow further post-pandemic.
Surely there is plenty of long-term life and opportunity in this initiative stretching beyond the pandemic response.
“We very much look forward to getting back into the gym, but there’s no question we’ve discovered there are many different ways to reach an audience and having these content pieces allows us to be more expansive on a global level,” added Krichavsky. “Content has been a big piece of the strategy as it relates to Jr. NBA, but the current situation unquestionably opens up our eyes to a greater opportunity we’ll continue to build post-pandemic.”
Links:
Jr. NBA
https://www.facebook.com/jrnba
https://www.instagram.com/jrnba/
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