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Partner Approval Pipeline

PLAYBOOK | DERIVED | Updated 2026-04-08 | Owner: Prapanch Swamy

Cross-IP approval process for NBA, NBPA, NFL, NFLPA, and Disney. How to get content approved by each partner.

Overview

Every piece of content — moments, pins, marketing copy, social posts — must be approved by the relevant IP holder before publication. Each partner has different requirements, timelines, and sensitivities.

Approval Matrix

IP Partner(s) Content Types Typical Timeline Primary Contact
NBA NBA + NBPA Player moments, game footage, team marks 1-2 weeks Sam Williams (content), Prapanch (production)
NFL NFL + NFLPA Player moments, game footage, team marks 2-3 weeks (when active) Spencer Bogad, Prapanch
Disney Disney (Lucasfilm, Marvel, etc.) Character pins, marketing materials, event activations 4-6 weeks Spencer Bogad, Sarah Knapp

Disney Is the Longest

Disney approval takes 4-6 weeks and frequently requires 2-3 revision rounds. Start 6-8 weeks before target drop date.

NBA / NBPA Process

What Needs Approval

  • Player imagery and likeness
  • Game footage usage
  • Team logos and marks
  • Marketing materials featuring NBA content
  • Challenge descriptions referencing players/teams

Process

  1. Content package preparation — Sam/Prapanch prepare visual assets + metadata
  2. NBA submission — through established approval portal
  3. NBA review — 5-7 business days typical
  4. NBPA review (if player-specific) — parallel track, 5-7 business days
  5. Revisions — usually minor for NBA (player name spelling, team logo usage)
  6. Final approval — written confirmation before production

Key Rules

  • Player names must match official NBA roster spellings
  • Retired players may require separate approval from NBPA
  • Playoffs content has faster turnaround due to pre-negotiated approval windows
  • Real-time game content (highlight moments) has expedited 24-48hr approval

NFL / NFLPA Process

Current Status

NFLPA agreement is being renegotiated. See NFL Partnership for details. May 1, 2026 = blackout date for new player imagery.

What Needs Approval (When Active)

  • Player name, image, likeness (NIL) via NFLPA group license
  • NFL league marks and team logos (separate from NFLPA)
  • Game footage usage
  • Marketing materials

Process (When Active)

  1. Content package — Spencer/Prapanch prepare
  2. NFLPA submission — group license content
  3. NFL league submission — team marks and footage (parallel)
  4. Review — 1-2 weeks each
  5. Cross-clearance — both must approve before production

Key Rules

  • NFLPA and NFL are separate approvals — getting one doesn't guarantee the other
  • Player-specific content requires NFLPA group license confirmation
  • Draft content has special approval windows
  • Off-season content is limited by agreement terms

Disney Process

The most complex approval pipeline. See Disney Submission for the detailed playbook.

Summary

  • 4-6 week process minimum
  • 2-3 revision rounds typical
  • IP-specific guidelines (Star Wars, Marvel, Disney Animation each have different character bibles)
  • Legal clearance required for some content types
  • Marketing copy must be approved separately from visual assets

Cross-IP Content

For content that spans multiple IPs (e.g., cross-product challenges):

  1. Each IP approves its own portion independently
  2. Combine only after all approvals received
  3. Cross-IP timing — stagger submissions to avoid bottleneck where one IP blocks the combined release

Approval Tracking

Tool Purpose
Admin DB (Sarah manages) Disney submission tracking
Standard approval portal NBA/NBPA submissions
Email/direct NFL/NFLPA (when active)
Slack Internal coordination (#collectibles-features)

Common Failure Modes

Failure Cause Prevention
Missed drop date Approval took longer than planned Add 2-week buffer. Start 6-8 weeks early for Disney.
Rejection after production Started production before final approval Never produce before written approval.
Conflicting requirements NBA and NBPA give different feedback Resolve conflicts before resubmitting.
Marketing unapproved Visual assets approved but marketing copy wasn't Submit ALL materials together, not sequentially.