Nestlé makes Milo, Nescau and Nesquik Official NBA partners in 21 markets

VEVEY, Switzerland — Oct. 7, 2026 — Nestlé and the NBA announced a multiyear international marketing partnership that makes Milo, Nescau and Nesquik Official Partners of the league across 21 markets on four continents. The deal, Nestlé’s largest international brand collaboration to date, takes effect Jan. 1, 2027. Financial terms were not disclosed.

The partnership is built around youth participation as much as branding. Nestlé says it aims to get 2.5 million young people into basketball activity over three years through Jr. NBA and Jr. WNBA programs, NBA Basketball School, coaches academies, Her Time To Play, NBA 3X, Global Games and NBA House. Retail activations will include on-pack NBA branding and promotions for tickets, merchandise and prizes.

Swiss food giant Nestlé and the US National Basketball Association have announced a multi-year marketing partnership spanning 21 markets across four continents, including Ghana and Nigeria. #AfricaBusinessInsight #AfricaBusinessInsightNews pic.twitter.com/gI601ceALc

— Africa Business Insight (@_africabusiness) October 14, 2026

Where it runs

Markets named in the announcement are Australia, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, France, Germany, Ghana, Italy, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Nigeria, Singapore, Spain, Thailand, Turkey, the United Kingdom, the United States and Vietnam, with the Philippines joining from October 2027. That footprint matches Nestlé’s push toward fewer, larger global platforms that still adapt locally—grassroots clinics where Milo and Nescau already run sports programs, and retail and digital fan experiences where NBA awareness is highest.

What both sides said

Nestlé’s Liberato Milo, SVP head of confectionery and snacking, said the brands have long used sport to build healthy habits and that basketball lets them connect at scale. The NBA’s Julie Morris, senior vice president of commercial development and media, framed the deal around Nestlé’s local reach and the league’s growth outside the United States, where most of its social following already sits.

The agreement lands in the same week as other league and team sponsorship news, and it puts three of Nestlé’s cocoa and malt drink brands onto the NBA’s global calendar rather than a single-market patch deal. Terms and the length of the multiyear window were not released.