HÀ NỘI — Nestlé and the National Basketball Association (NBA) have announced a long-term global partnership covering 21 markets across four continents, with MILO Vietnam becoming an official NBA partner as part of the agreement.

The partnership marks Nestlé’s largest global brand collaboration to date, bringing together its MILO, NESCAU and NESQUIK brands with the NBA to support the league’s basketball development programmes and encourage young people to lead more active lifestyles.

In Việt Nam, the partnership will strengthen MILO’s efforts to promote youth sports participation, giving more children and teenagers opportunities to discover basketball, develop a passion for physical activity and build confidence through sport.

Through basketball’s global appeal and the NBA’s youth development network, MILO aims to encourage more young Vietnamese to embrace active lifestyles and realise their potential.

The partnership between Nestlé and the NBA aims to create more opportunities for Vietnamese children to participate in sport and develop active lifestyles.

Under the agreement, Nestlé and the NBA will organise activities to encourage young people to participate in sports and give teenagers and families more opportunities to experience basketball.

Liberato Milo, Nestlé’s senior vice president and head of the confectionery and food strategic business unit, said sport had long been central to the company’s efforts to inspire people and help them develop positive values.

“For decades, our brands have believed in the power of sport to unlock potential and bring out the best in people,” he said.

Through MILO and NESCAU sports programmes, athlete partnerships and NESQUIK initiatives, Nestlé had seen how sport could build confidence, foster healthy habits and strengthen community connections, he said.

The NBA partnership was the next step in that journey, combining basketball’s appeal with locally relevant experiences to encourage more children, teenagers and families to be active and enjoy the benefits of sport.

Binu Jacob, managing director of Nestlé Vietnam, said Việt Nam had made significant progress in developing school sports and encouraging children to maintain active lifestyles.

“MILO is proud to have supported this journey for more than 30 years,” he said, adding that initiatives such as the Active Vietnam programme had brought together schools, families and partners to encourage generations of young people to exercise daily, build confidence and develop positive habits from an early age.

The partnership with the NBA aims to build on that long-term commitment by bringing basketball’s appeal and energetic spirit to more Vietnamese children, contributing to the country's broader goal of raising a healthier and more active generation. It also aligned with the government’s efforts to promote school basketball, he said.

Julie Morris, the NBA’s senior vice president of commercial development and media, said Nestlé was a widely recognised and trusted global brand with strong consumer connections.

The partnership combines the NBA’s global reach with Nestlé’s ability to connect with consumers, offering fans new and meaningful experiences while helping expand the sport’s global appeal, she said.

The deal covers Australia, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, France, Germany, Ghana, Italy, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Nigeria, Singapore, Spain, Thailand, Türkiye, the United Kingdom, the US and Việt Nam. The Philippines will join the initiative in October 2027. — VNS