The Adelaide 36ers, one of the National Basketball League's foundation clubs, has appointed 54 as its commercial and marketing partner as it looks to capitalise on basketball's global boom.

Buoyed by an exciting off-season which has seen the arrival of five-time National Basketball League (NBL) MVP Bryce Cotton after eight seasons at the Perth Wildcats, the 36ers and 54 are looking to seize a unique opportunity to elevate the revenue base of the South Australian franchise.

The NBL is experiencing strong growth and is one of the most competitive leagues outside of the NBA. The 36ers sold out all 14 home games of the NBL25 regular season at its 10,000-capacity Adelaide Entertainment Centre home to make it 21 sell-outs in-a-row, including the last seven games of the previous season.

54 will have a specific focus on blue-chip international brands and working with the franchise to elevate the 36ers as one of the most iconic franchises in Australian sport.

Nick Haslam, Managing Director 54 Australia, said: “We couldn't be working with the 36ers at a more exciting moment in their journey. The arrival of Bryce Cotton is obviously immensely significant, but the sport is experiencing such an incredible trajectory across all metrics.

“It's the fastest growing league in Australia and followed by a young, vibrant audience and 54 is really looking forward to the challenge of surfing this wave and helping the 36ers capitalise on the strong sentiment for the sport. What the 36ers and the NBL have been able to build over the last five or six years is incredible, and we’re thrilled to be working with one of the league’s foundation clubs.”

Nic Barbato, Adelaide 36ers CEO, said: “There's some extraordinary opportunities for our club to grow in the coming years and we're delighted that 54 will be bringing its proven strategic approach to help us on the next steps of our journey.

“Basketball is on a steep upward curve at the moment in a country known for its fiercely competitive sports market, and we're looking forward to some game-changing developments on and off the court.”  

54 Australia has been a key contributing partner for LIV Golf Adelaide, crowned the world’s best golf event the last two years at the World Golf Awards, and also enjoys commercial and strategic relationships with a number of brands across its portfolio.

The global agency's original heritage lay within transformative marketing and commercial strategies across multiple sports including golf, basketball, padel, lacrosse and horse racing.