The NBL has officially launched season 2027 with brand platform, ‘Play It Loud’, marking the start of the next chapter of Australian basketball, following the record-breaking 2026 Season.
NBL26 was a string season for the basketball competition: free-to-air audiences grew 22 per cent year-on-year; streaming audiences grew 20 per cent and attendance hit 1.1 million fans.
Season 2027 has a big act to follow, so RCJ Media is making sure it launches with a bang. Created to capture the energy, emotion and growing cultural influence of the league, Play It Loud has launched through a fully integrated national media campaign spanning television, radio, digital screens, out-of-home, social and broadcast partnerships.
RCJ Media developed the integrated media strategy to build anticipation, drive momentum and amplify fan engagement as the new season tips off.
The standout moment of opening week was a league-first dynamic creative execution, delivered in partnership with QMS: live NBL scores beamed in real time onto premium digital OOH sites nationally. The highlight was Melbourne’s Punt Road billboard, which lit up with live scores for thousands of fans streaming out of the MCG after a blockbuster AFL preliminary final on Saturday 19 September, allowing them to experience the excitement of live NBL action beyond the court and creating new opportunities for engagement at scale.
“Launching Play It Loud has been incredibly exciting,” said Isabella Sciarra, account manager at RCJ Media. “It demonstrates what’s possible when great partnerships come together around a bold idea. Activating the iconic Punt Road site with live NBL scores in front of thousands of fans leaving the MCG was the perfect opportunity to generate FOMO, spark curiosity and put the NBL front and centre for Season Launch.”
“Play It Loud is a celebration of our fans. They’re the reason NBL26 was a record-breaking season, and this campaign is about giving them more ways to connect with the game they love, wherever they are,” said Ben Jenkins, NBL executive general manager, marketing.
“Seeing live scores light up Punt Road as thousands of fans walked out of the MCG shows where the league is at. The NBL has earned its place on the Australian sporting calendar, and as NBL27 tips off, we want every fan, whether they’ve been with us for years or are discovering the league for the first time, to feel part of it and Play It Loud.”
As the NBL continues its strong growth trajectory on and off the court, Play It Loud signals the league’s ambition to build on a record-breaking 2026 and further elevate basketball’s place in Australia’s sporting and entertainment landscape.
Credits:
Client: National Basketball League (NBL)
Executive General Manager Marketing: Ben Jenkins
NBL Head of Media & Communications: Tom Martin
Media Agency: RCJ Media
Head of Client Services: Denise Spadafora
Account Manager: Isabella Sciarra
