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If you tune into a major sporting event during the month of February, there’s a good chance you’ll see some creators pop up on the screen. Both the NBA All-Star Game and Super Bowl LIX are right around the corner, and they’ll both feature pregame festivities populated by big-name stars from YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, and Twitch.
The NBA All-Star Celebrity Game, which features a mix of Hollywood stars, influencers, retired athletes, and WNBA hoopers, will feature creator-heavy lineups in 2025. The participant list includes Kai Cenat, who will look to earn his place on the court despite his short stature, and Druski, who has made moves in the sports world since breaking out on Instagram Live.
Even the coaching roster includes some creator clout. One of the assistants on the sideline will be most-followed TikToker Khaby Lame. Though he might not be able to get in the game himself, he nevertheless donned his Michael Jordan jersey and posted a video that shows off his sweet shooting stroke.
The Celebrity Game has become more creator-oriented amid a broader wave of collaborations between NBA stars and YouTube hoopers. The annual All-Star Weekend, which will be hosted in San Francisco between February 14-16, 2025, has become a hotspot where many of those collabs are filmed.
The NFL has its own February tradition involving creators. It hosts annual flag football games ahead of the Super Bowl, and the 2025 installment of that format will be headlined by Kai Cenat and iShowSpeed. The complete rosters were just announced, and they include multiple creator participants: Deestroying, Mark Phillips of RDCWorld, and Adam W will play; so too will Khaby Lame, who seems to be everywhere these days.
Creator-related promotions are currently cresting in the sports world as sports leages enter into partnerships to reach new fans online. Depending on who you ask, those deals are either the future of entertainment or a distraction from the game itself. Luckily for basketball fans, the All-Star Weekend is meant to be a distraction, so the participating creators can be as silly as they want.
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