Basketball fans will get sneak peeks at this summer’s upcoming movies thanks to a collaboration between the NBA, Disney and major movie studios during the playoffs. 

Disney's ad unit partnered with Universal Pictures, Warner Bros. Discovery, Sony Pictures and its own studio to create custom commercials for summer flicks produced by Disney CreativeWorks, the company’s in-house creative studio. 

Each studio will be able to advertise during a round of the playoffs, starting with Universal Pictures in the first round with a campaign for “Fast X,” the latest film in the “Fast and Furious” franchise. The spots will feature high school basketball star Bronny James, the son of future Basketball Hall of Famer LeBron James, in the driver’s seat with narration from actor Vin Diesel.

The movies that will be showcased in ads for Warner Bros. Discovery in the second round, Disney in the third round and Sony Pictures in the final have not yet been confirmed by Disney. 

The ad slots are part of Disney’s upfront offerings. “We don’t necessarily know the film at the time, but when we do, we work with the studios to understand their objectives and make creative based on those. It’s a very collaborative process,” said Christina Carey Dunleavy, VP of Disney CreativeWorks and multicultural and inclusion solutions.

Dunleavy also pointed to the NBA playoffs’ reach among audiences as a selling point to advertisers. Viewers were 79% more likely to search for brands they say advertised during the 2022 NBA playoffs on ABC and ESPN, than viewers who saw ads during broadcast and cable primetime programs, according to EDO, a data and analytics company that measures TV advertising.  Last year’s NBA championship between the Golden State Warriors and the Boston Celtics averaged 12.4 million viewers, up 22% from 2021. A movie brand would have had to air 12 ads in broadcast and cable primetime programs to generate the same search engagement as one ad in the 2022 NBA playoffs on ABC and ESPN, according to EDO.

“When you have the excitement and reach in this space, it makes sense for advertisers to partner with us,” said Dunleavy. “Those are their windows so we can ensure that each studio has its moment, and that moment isn’t disrupted.”

The NBA playoffs tipped off on April 15 on ABC and ESPN.

~ ~ ~
CLARIFICATION: A previous version of this story included names of films that Disney originally said would be highlighted in the sponsorships. Disney said not all films have been confirmed.