NBA Expands India Push Through Retail, Streaming and Fan Engagement

Key points

1. The NBA has expanded its merchandising partnership with Indian apparel company Suditi, which took over operation of NBAStore.in in October 2026.
2. The partnership is expected to bring India's first physical NBA Store to the country in 2027; the article does not identify its location.
3. The expanded merchandise range includes jerseys, T-shirts, jackets, sweatshirts, headwear, accessories, casual shirts and lifestyle footwear.
4. For the 2026-27 season, NBA games are available live in India on Prime Video and NBA League Pass.
5. The NBA's Indian social media accounts have more than eight million followers, with over 1.8 billion impressions and 1.35 billion video views, according to the Times of India report.
6. The league is using BUDX NBA House events, digital highlights and local content to engage audiences beyond live game broadcasts.

The NBA is looking to build a much broader business in India than television distribution alone, combining basketball, digital content, fashion, live experiences, retail and commercial partnerships. The strategy is aimed at turning the league's existing cultural recognition into sustained fan engagement and consumer spending in a market where cricket remains the dominant sport.

A major step is the expansion of the NBA's merchandising partnership with Indian apparel company Suditi. The two organisations have worked together since 2018, and Suditi took over the operation of NBAStore.in in October 2026. The expanded arrangement is also expected to bring the NBA's first physical store in India in 2027.

Retail moves beyond online merchandise

The expanded Suditi partnership adds casual shirts and lifestyle footwear to a range that already includes jerseys, T-shirts, jackets, sweatshirts, headwear and accessories. The planned physical store is intended to take the NBA's relationship with Indian consumers beyond online shopping and into everyday retail.

The league's teams and players already have visibility in India through sports culture and fashion. Jerseys associated with teams such as the Los Angeles Lakers and Chicago Bulls, and players including Michael Jordan, Stephen Curry and LeBron James, have recognition beyond audiences who regularly follow NBA games. The commercial opportunity is to convert that familiarity into demand for official merchandise.

The report does not identify the location of the planned store or provide a projected sales figure. The billion-dollar market ambition in the headline should therefore be understood as the scale of the opportunity being discussed, not as a confirmed valuation or revenue target disclosed in the article.

Broadcasting is only one part of the plan

The NBA has experimented with several ways of bringing games to Indian audiences. Its broadcast history in the country has included a decade-long association with Sony, partnerships with MTV and digital platforms, an experiment that made 100 games available live on YouTube, and a three-year association with Prasar Bharati that took basketball content to DD Sports.

For the 2026-27 season, games are available live in India on Prime Video and NBA League Pass. However, the league recognises that live matches alone may not be enough in a country where games are often played at inconvenient local times because of the time difference with North America.

Rajah Chaudhry, the NBA's Asia-Pacific head of strategy, told TimesofIndia.com that the league cannot simply focus on broadcasting games and ask audiences to watch. He said the organisation needs to develop other ways for people to engage with basketball, reflecting different viewing habits across the country.

Digital content keeps fans connected

The NBA's Indian social media platforms have accumulated more than eight million followers, according to the report. They have generated over 1.8 billion impressions and 1.35 billion video views. Highlights, short-form clips, player stories and locally produced content allow the league to remain visible even when live games are not taking place at convenient times for Indian viewers.

Sunny Malik, NBA India's Country Head, said the league wanted to avoid relying on a single way of presenting the sport. The approach is to offer different forms of content and let fans connect with the game in ways that suit their preferences.

The time-zone difference remains a challenge, but Chaudhry also identified a possible advantage: once fans build a habit around watching games at a particular time, the league may face less competition from other live sports in those viewing windows. Establishing that habit, rather than expecting audiences to follow every live game, is part of the longer-term task.

NBA House connects sport with culture

The league's engagement strategy also extends to physical events. BUDX NBA House, which moved from Mumbai to New Delhi in May 2026, combines basketball with music, fashion, celebrity appearances and entertainment. The format gives the NBA a way to reach people who may recognise its teams and players but do not necessarily watch full games.

The event reflects the league's belief that its brand can connect with Indian audiences through lifestyle and popular culture as well as competition. The Times of India report notes that elements of the NBA House experience have also informed the league's approach in other Asia-Pacific markets.

Commercial partnerships are another part of the plan. Swiss watchmaker Tissot has been associated with the NBA for a decade. Tissot chief executive Sylvain Dolla told TimesofIndia.com that the relationship is based on shared values and long-term collaboration, with innovation including a redesigned shot clock that has also been adopted across the WNBA.

Turning attention into a sustainable market

The NBA's challenge is to convert awareness and occasional engagement into regular viewership, merchandise purchases and long-term commercial relationships. Social media reach and event attendance are useful indicators, but they do not by themselves establish a large paying audience.

Cricket continues to command the largest share of India's sporting attention, sponsorship money and broadcast market. Basketball also faces the practical difficulty of game times that do not always fit Indian viewing routines, as well as the task of developing a larger domestic ecosystem for regular participation and professional opportunities.

The NBA's approach is consequently built around several connected channels. Broadcast distribution provides access to games; digital content sustains attention; live events create communities; and retail and partnerships provide ways to build a commercial relationship with fans. The expanded Suditi deal and planned 2027 store are the latest steps in that wider strategy.

The league's ambition in India is not limited to increasing the number of people who watch NBA games. It is seeking to make basketball part of a broader sporting, cultural and consumer landscape. Whether those separate initiatives can develop into a sustainable large-scale business will depend on turning existing interest into repeat engagement and spending over time.