NBA x NBL MELBOURNE SERIES

When the NBA brought the New Orleans Pelicans to Melbourne for the first-ever NBA games played on Australian soil, it marked a watershed moment for basketball in Australia and one of the most significant events in the sport’s history. SPEAK Communications partnered with the NBA and NBL to support the Australian PR, media relations and talent engagement programme for the landmark NBA x NBL Melbourne Series, helping build anticipation from announcement through to game week and ensuring the event captured attention well beyond the basketball community.

SPEAK played a central role in delivering the communications rollout for the Series. This included national media relations, press office management, talent hosting, creator engagement and the facilitation of media opportunities with athletes, NBA legends and league representatives. The team also supported a packed schedule of events and activations, including media calls, fan experiences, open training sessions, community programmes and game day media operations.

As Melbourne became the centre of the basketball world, SPEAK worked on the ground to manage media attendance, facilitate interviews, coordinate talent experiences and host a diverse mix of athletes, celebrities, creators and cultural figures across the week. Through strategic storytelling and relationship management, the campaign helped position the Series not only as a sporting spectacle, but as a major cultural moment for Australia.

The event generated widespread national attention, extensive media coverage and significant social conversation, while showcasing Australia’s passion for basketball on a global stage. With sold-out crowds, packed fan experiences and a week-long programme of community, media and cultural activations, the NBA x NBL Melbourne Series became one of the most talked-about sporting events of the year and a landmark moment for the game in Australia.

More than a series of exhibition games, the NBA x NBL Melbourne Series reinforced Australia’s growing importance within the global basketball ecosystem and demonstrated the power of sport to unite fans, media, athletes and culture through a truly historic event.