DoorDash has scored a multiyear marketing partnership with the National Basketball Association that gives the delivery brand exposure during games played by the NBA, the WNBA and in the NBA 2K League.

The deal kicks in today with the start of the NBA Playoffs and just weeks after the NBA resumed the 2019-20 season in its so-called “bubble” in Orlando where there are players and staff, but no fans on site. It makes DoorDash the first brand to hold the title of official on-demand delivery platform of the league, a designation that could help the delivery brand—which calls itself “the nation’s leading last-mile logistics platform”—as it competes against the likes of Grubhub, Postmates and UberEats (and DoorDash's sibling brand, Caviar) vying to get orders from people watching the games.

Restaurant delivery platforms have gotten more attention during the coronavirus pandemic while restaurant dining rooms were closed and as diners stuck at home look for meals that they don't have to cook. In early July, Uber announced its play to buy Postmates, a deal that came weeks after Just Eat Takeaway in June unveiled its plan to buy Grubhub.

DoorDash is out with a new “Food Is Life” spot playing up the NBA pact that features fan footage merged with graphics. The spot, set to run on TV, digital and social, shows off a variety of the foods available on DoorDash and a mix of NBA teams, including some that didn’t make it into the bubble, such as the Bulls and Cavs. The spot was created by the brand’s internal creative team.

DoorDash is also launching a #PlayItForward social media challenge as part of its efforts to push people to support Black-owned restaurants. DoorDash introduced the challenge, in partnership with the National Basketball Players Association, with social media messages from NBA players including Ja Morant.