The NBA 2K League awarded three teams for achievements in team marketing and business operations over the course of the 2019 season at the league’s Fall Workshop in Indianapolis this week.
“The NBA 2K League teams honored today represent the quality of innovation and partnership that we are used to seeing from our teams,” said NBA 2K League Managing Director Brendan Donohue in a press release issued by the league today. “The best part about these awards is that they make all of our teams better and create a new pinnacle for them to strive for next season.”
Headlining the awards was Magic Gaming, which took home two honors for Partnership of the Year and Local Activation of the Year. The former was for the team’s work with Orlando Health, its official hospital partner and jersey sponsor. Magic Gaming and Orlando Health teamed up to provide care for the Magic Gaming players and for the players in return to serve as brand ambassadors for the hospital, visiting hospitalized children. The two will work to upgrade the hospital’s main gaming room later this month.
Raptors Uprising GC was a finalist for the award for its partnership with Bell, which co-sponsors the team’s Bell Fibe House.
The Local Activation of the Year award was for Magic Gaming’s partnership with Full Sail University, which hosted the season two Ticket tournament at its new 500-person capacity venue, The Fortress. The Ticket tournament was the second tournament hosted outside of the league’s studio in New York City, after the Turn tournament in Las Vegas, and the first hosted in a league team’s host city.
Cavs Legion GC was a finalist for its Steel City Showdown event in Pittsburgh.
Raptors Uprising GC won Digital Innovator of the Year for “the consistently high quality of its content and digital fan engagement” in 2019, according to the league. The league highlighted the team’s video series “6ixtape” for “creating a two-way conversation with followers” through its content. Other content from the team featured collaborations with esports organization FaZe Clan and NBA 2K community influencer Agent 00.
League champions T-Wolves Gaming was a finalist for the award for its creative digital content.
Pacers Gaming earned the final award for Best Use of Streaming “for its use of Twitch to create and engaged community of fans and develop a bond between the team’s fans and players.” The team’s scheduled programming with its players as part of its Pacers Gaming Primetime series saw particular growth throughout the year.
Raptors Uprising GC was also a finalist for this award for collaborating with esports influencers and players in its Twitch streams.
All 21 teams that competed in the 2019 season could submit entries for each category, with winners chosen by league executives and a committee featuring a representative from each team.
