(Bloomberg) — NBA star Giannis Antetokounmpo has signed a long-term deal with WhatsApp, the messaging service owned by Meta Platforms Inc., to promote the brand around the world.
The multiyear agreement is the first celebrity endorsement deal for WhatsApp. Executives plan to work with Antetokounmpo on content, events and community outreach, beginning at the NBA’s All-Star Game in Cleveland on Sunday evening. Financial terms weren’t disclosed.
”It’s an app I use daily,” Antetokounmpo said in an interview. “At the end of the day, I make decisions based on what makes me happy and how I can help.”
Antetokounmpo, who was born to Nigerian parents in Greece, is one of basketball’s best international players. WhatsApp, which competes with the likes of Apple Inc.’s iMessage and Google Messages, has more than 2 billion users worldwide and has established itself as the primary messaging method in countries such as India and Brazil. The service has boosted marketing in sports this year, including airing its first U.S. ads in January during the NFL playoffs.
Antetokounmpo has accumulated several major sponsors since he was drafted in 2013, promoting headphones for JBL and appearing in ads for Walt Disney Co.’s Hulu streaming service. Nike Inc. re-signed him to a long-term deal in 2017, and he has his own signature sneaker line for the world’s largest athletic-wear company.
In recent years, Antetokounmpo has also started to make some of his own investments, putting money into sports drink startup Ready Nutrition and watch marketplace WatchBox. He also became a minority owner in Milwaukee’s baseball team, the Brewers, last year. He said it’s a valuable learning process for him, as he hopes to own an NBA team one day.
“It’s kind of hard to manage all together,” said Antetokounmpo. “I’m getting involved in things I’d never imagined I would get involved in.”
The two-time NBA Most Valuable Player won his first championship in 2021, when he led the Milwaukee Bucks to their first title in 50 years. That on-court success has propelled the small-market franchise to national popularity, with strong merchandise sales and newfound interest from corporate sponsors. Only LeBron James and Steph Curry topped Antetokounmpo in jersey sales last season, according to data from sports-merchandise retailer Fanatics.
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