Triller wants to expand in sports, and in an effort of doing so, the social media company partnered with Ice Cube’s Big3 basketball league.
According to CNBC, the deal’s specifics haven’t been made public yet, but BIG3 and Triller will share advertising revenue earned from events, and this year, Triller will host BIG3’s first-ever all-star game.
“There’s nothing as fun and fast in sports as BIG3 basketball, and once you watch one game, you’ll be hooked,” said Triller co-owner Ryan Kavanaugh in a statement. “We are excited to partner with Ice Cube and the BIG3 organization to bring this exciting and growing sport to Triller audiences around the world.”
Triller will also feature 30 hours of exclusive content around the league, including a draft on June 14.
Hip-hop and film icon Ice Cube and entertainment executive Jeff Kwatinetz, started the BIG3 in 2017.
BIG3 is a traveling circuit league and features former National Basketball Association stars playing in a three-on-three style format in the summer. Participants of the league usually earn roughly $10,000 per game plus bonuses that are tied to winning. Salaries can reach up to $100,000.
Ice Cube and Kwatinetz said in a joint statement, the deal allows BIG3 to expand its reach to the Generation Z (ages six through 24) audience. They said the agreement is a “perfect combination of sports and entertainment for that demographic.” Last year, BIG3 made changes to its game structure before the pandemic canceled its 2020 season. The BIG3 will enter its fourth season and will start a 10-week season on July 10 in Las Vegas.
