NBA 2K League Announces Landmark Partnerships With Dell, Intel

The NBA 2K League announced comprehensive partnerships with Dell and Intel, as the league reveals that it will be played on PC.

Today’s announcement will make Dell’s gaming brand Alienware the official PC hardware and monitor partner throughout the new NBA 2K League Studio and alongside the players in their team training facilities.

As partners of the NBA 2K League, Dell and Intel will deliver end-to-end solutions for an unmatched Esports experience. NBA 2K League games will be played on Alienware PCs powered by Intel’s best gaming processor, the eigth-gen Intel Core i7-8700K Processor accompanied by Alienware’s 25” 240Hz gaming monitors.

These multi-year agreements represent two major partnerships for the NBA 2K League, the professional esports league co-founded by the NBA and Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc., which is set to debut in May with 17 teams and will feature 102 of the best NBA 2K players in the world.

During the NBA 2K League season, Alienware’s hardware and monitors and Intel’s gaming processors will be used during all live gameplay including weekly matchups, three in-season tournaments, playoffs and the NBA 2K League Finals. All players will have the flexibility to use the controller of their preference.

Alienware’s Aurora desktop, powered by eighth-gen Intel Core i7 processors, will provide a superior gaming experience for players and an unparalleled viewing experience for fans, with graphics and production quality of the game available at ultra settings or 4K.  Overall, the PC hardware will enhance the gaming experience with faster and smooth gameplay with more than 60 frames per second (FPS) and 1080p (progressive scan). Throughout the partnership, Alienware and Intel will work with the NBA 2K League to continuously find new opportunities to innovate and enhance gameplay as the latest technology evolves.

“Our partnerships with Dell and Intel give us the ability to utilize state-of-the-art hardware and technology that will optimize league play and the viewing experience for fans around the world,” says Brendan Donohue, NBA 2K League managing director. “The combination of Alienware and Intel will advance the elite gaming experience and we are thrilled to incorporate two of the top products and brands throughout the NBA 2K League during our inaugural season, and beyond.”

“Our commitment to enabling esports leagues, teams and professionals to perform at their best continues to excite and invigorate our team,” says Bryan de Zayas, director of Dell Gaming, Alienware and Esports. “We are proud to partner with the NBA 2K League and Intel as the exclusive PC and displays provider bringing the best in class gaming systems and displays to the newly formed NBA 2K League and its players. Our partnership continues to close the gap between traditional sports fans and esports fans, while delivering the world-class gaming and viewing experience fans expect and deserve.”

“Intel plans to provide the best gaming experience for competitors and fans through its cloud to client solutions,” says John Bonini, vice president and general manager of the VR, Gaming and Esports Group at Intel Corporation.  “Intel has been a leader in the growth of the esports industry and community for more than 15 years, and the NBA 2K League’s fresh format will be a great showcase for Esports.”

Along with gameplay, both Alienware and Intel will make significant marketing commitments with the new NBA 2K League. Alienware will be the presenting partner of two highly visible programs – the NBA 2K League Draft Clash, a tournament on April 6 featuring 10 of the top picks from the inaugural NBA 2K League Draft on April 4, and the NBA 2K League Halftime Show.  Intel will be the presenting partner of the NBA 2K League Studio, where Intel Core and Intel Xeon processors will provide the technology infrastructure for the league’s regular season, playoffs, and Finals.

Additionally, Dell’s technology was selected by 16 of the 17 teams participating in the inaugural NBA 2K League season – Celtics Crossover Gaming, Cavs Legion GC, Mavs Gaming, Pistons Gaming Team, Pacers Gaming, Grizz Gaming, HEAT Check Gaming, Bucks Gaming, Knicks Gaming, Magic Gaming, 76ers GC, Blazer5 Gaming, Kings Guard Gaming, Raptors Uprising GC, Jazz Gaming, and Wizards District Gaming. The team practice facilities will be equipped with Alienware PC hardware, including monitors and towers for in-season training.