While the NFL tries to figure out how to make money from Bluesky, the NBA is adopting the X-alternative social media platform.
At some point on Sunday during All-Star Weekend, the league set up its official account using Bluesky’s verification process, which makes its URL its website.
As of 4:00 p.m. ET on Monday, the league had accrued 5.5k followers. It has yet to post on the platform.
The league account joins four presumed official NBA team accounts on Bluesky (Portland Trail Blazers, Philadelphia 76ers, Phoenix Suns, and Dallas Mavericks.
The NBA joins Major League Baseball as the two biggest U.S. pro sports leagues with Bluesky accounts, though neither has posted on the platform. The pro basketball league has been posting regularly on Meta’s Threads for some time.
In early January, we learned that the NFL had told the New England Patriots to pull down their nascent Bluesky account. It was later reported that the league is attempting to figure out how to best monetize their presence there before joining. In the meantime, several Bluesky users have sued the league for refusing to join the platform, citing their desire to follow the league without joining Elon Musk’s X.
Speaking of Musk, his current exploits in the U.S. government might influence how leagues like the NBA and NFL do business. But there’s no way to know if that’s a factor in why the NBA joined this weekend. However, it will continue to be a discussion point, especially as Musk continues to do whatever it is he’s doing under the purview of President Donald Trump, and how major corporations, leagues, and teams see themselves associated with him directly or indirectly.
