How We Reached 1.7M People To Promote The NBA Season Tip Off

When the NBA partnered with Cleaning The Dirtiest (CTD) through UnitedMasters, the objective was clear: create authentic, attention grabbing content that would bring the excitement of the new NBA season to audiences outside the traditional sports bubble.

Instead of standard promotional material, the NBA chose for a creator whose satisfying transformations consistently reach millions. The result was a focused, multi platform activation built around one powerful visual: restoring an official NBA game ball from destroyed to pristine.

Note: This succes story study is written from the perspective of Cleaning The Dirtiest.

Results at a glance

• 1.7M plus organic views across Instagram, TikTok, YouTube Shorts and Facebook

• 15K plus likes and over 200 comments

• Cross platform activation on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube Shorts and Facebook

• Type of collaboration: Season launch awareness × Themed Hero Episode Branded End Card – short form

For a short form, top of funnel awareness push, the content successfully introduced NBA visuals to viewers who do not usually seek out basketball content.

The objective

The brief for CTD, was to support the NBA season launch with content that would:

• Capture attention in the first seconds of the video

• Integrate NBA branding naturally into a Start To Finish cleaning concept

• Reach new audiences beyond core sports fans

The content needed to feel native to CTD’s channels while still clearly supporting the NBA Season Tip Off.

The concept

Cleaning the world dirtiest official NBA game ball

To create instant curiosity, CTD developed a Start To Finish concept around a single hero object: an official Wilson NBA game ball, covered so heavily in dirt that it was barely recognisable.

The video takes viewers through a complete restoration:

1. Hook: a close up of the destroyed ball with a clear Start To Finish visual.

2. Process: scraping, foam, brushes and rinsing in a fast, satisfying sequence.

3. Reveal: the NBA logoman and clean leather come back into focus.

4. Payoff: the piece closes with an NBA Season Tip Off graphic that connects the transformation to the new season.

The ball becomes a visual metaphor for a fresh start. As the surface is restored, the new season comes into view.

Multi platform performance

The campaign focused on short form distribution across four channels, each contributing to overall reach.

Key numbers

Instagram Reels

• 650,000 views

• 3,966 likes

• 21 comments

TikTok

• 671,000 views

• 8,390 likes

• 157 comments

YouTube Shorts

• 93,000 views

• 1,600 likes

• 31 comments

Facebook

• 307,000 views

• 1,600 likes

• 10 comments

Total: more than 1.7 million views, 15,000 plus likes and over 200 comments from a single creative adapted per platform.

Breakout performances

• TikTok led the campaign with 671K views and very high rewatchability, driven by a fast paced, visually punchy edit that resonated with younger, entertainment focused audiences.

• Instagram delivered 650K views with strong engagement and a high share of positive reactions, ideal for season launch visibility.

• Facebook added 307K views and solid engagement, expanding reach to slightly older and more casual audiences.

• YouTube Shorts contributed 93K views, pushing the NBA message to a global, algorithm driven viewer base.

Across all channels, the NBA brand and visuals appeared in front of people who normally follow CTD for satisfying cleaning content, not for basketball. That cross niche exposure was exactly the strategic goal.

Why this collaboration worked

The success of the NBA × CTD activation is rooted in three core elements.

1. A fresh angle on NBA promotion

Rather than highlights or player clips, the campaign brought NBA identity into a transformation format that CTD’s audience already loves. This bridged two worlds:

• Fans of visually pleasing cleaning and restoration

• Potential new viewers for the upcoming NBA season

NBA branding felt at home in a non sports feed, which helped the league stand out.

2. High organic reach across diverse audiences

Because CTD’s audience is broad and globally distributed, the NBA message reached:

• Viewers who enjoy ASMR and Start To Finish videos

• Casual sports fans who do not follow team or league accounts directly

• International audiences discovering NBA content for the first time

This made the collaboration a strong top of funnel awareness driver ahead of the season opener.

3. Platform optimised execution

Each platform received a cut tailored to its behaviour:

• TikTok: fastest pacing and strongest focus on rewatch value

• Instagram and Facebook Reels: clean, satisfying edit with high completion rate

• YouTube Shorts: algorithm friendly version focused on global discovery

This approach maximised organic reach without any need for paid amplification.

Impact for the NBA

The collaboration delivered:

• Season kick off visibility
  More than 1.7M impressions from audiences outside the pure sports niche, helping the NBA reach fresh potential viewers at the moment the new season launched.

• Authentic integration
  The official NBA ball, logoman and Tip Off end card were woven into a narrative that already fits CTD’s channels, so the content felt natural to viewers.

• High engagement across platforms
  Over 15K likes, more than 200 comments and strong rewatch rates signalled real interest and curiosity about the league and the new season.

• Effective outreach to new audiences
  By working with a creator outside the sports vertical, the NBA placed its message in front of people who rarely see sports promotions in their feeds.

A draft case that shows the power of cross niche collaborations

The NBA × Cleaning The Dirtiest partnership shows how brands can unlock new audiences when they step beyond traditional promotional strategies. By blending entertainment, visual satisfaction and clear brand storytelling, a single Start To Finish concept delivered meaningful awareness for the start of the NBA season.

Want your brand to be the next success story?

The NBA collaboration shows what happens when a strong, visual concept meets an audience that loves satisfying, story driven content. A single Start To Finish clean helped bring the NBA Season Tip Off in front of viewers who would normally never see a sports campaign.

If you are a brand, league or agency that wants to reach new audiences with highly engaging short form content, we would love to talk.

Get in touch through business(AT)cleaningthedirtiest.com or fill in the contact form below to explore a custom concept for your brand.

We can help you turn your campaign into the hero of the next Cleaning The Dirtiest story.