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Creators Take Over NBA All-Star Weekend

Cassandra Bankson, Contributor

Jesser, MrBeast, and the CEO of YouTube weren’t just watching the NBA All-Star Weekend—they were redefining how we experience sports. 

The NBA All-Star Weekend returned to the Bay Area for the first time since 2000, but this time, it was more than just basketball—it marked the rise of the creator economy. Back then, the event focused solely on the game, with little digital media presence or crossover with entertainment beyond music.

Creators Are Shaping the Future of Sports

Jesse Riedel, aka Jesser, who has over 25 million YouTube subscribers, shared his excitement with our co-founder Cassandra Bankson: “Chase Center is the coolest NBA arena I’ve ever seen, and the energy in the Bay Area is unreal.” At YouTube’s exclusive Creator Collective event, Jesser and other creators mingled in the old “Thirsty Bear” next to the Moscone Center with a double-decker bar and top executives YouTube CEO Neal Mohan, VP Americas Tara Walpert-Levy, and Global MD and Head of YouTube Creators Kim Larson, further cementing YouTube’s commitment to creator-led sports coverage.

The weekend was packed with exclusive brand events from Meta, Google Pixel, and YouTube, showcasing the Bay Area’s role as a hub for digital innovation. "It’s crazy to see how many people traveled here from LA, New York, and even internationally just to be part of this moment," Bankson added in her conversations with attendees of the event.

Game-Changing Moments for Fans and Creators

• MrBeast’s $100,000 Challenge: A highlight of the weekend came when Jaren Barajas, a Bay Area college student, sank a three-point logo shot against NBA star Damian Lillard to win $100,000 from Jimmy Donaldson aka MrBeast. This moment perfectly showcased how content creators are enhancing sports enjoyment, education, entertainment, and fan involvement.
  

• Jesser’s Impact: As the first influencer judge for an NBA All-Star competition, Jesser brought a fresh, interactive perspective that blended traditional analysis with the audience-driven style dominating platforms like YouTube.
  

• Hoop Bus Comes Home: Founded by Nick Ansom, the Hoop Bus returned to its Bay Area roots, using basketball as a vehicle for community empowerment. The iconic bus, fitted with hoops at both ends, traveled across the region, revitalizing courts in Oakland and Vallejo while offering educational workshops.

  

  From left, Cassandra Bankson and Jesser

Amplifying Community Impact Through Local Voices

Local San Francisco creators played a pivotal role in amplifying the Hoop Bus’s mission. Former WNBA player, podcaster, and Hoop Bus board advisor Brianna Salvatore-Dueck spoke with BACE about how social media has transformed the nonprofit’s reach. Viral moments shared across platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube have brought global attention to their work.

The weekend also featured community-driven events supported by major sponsors like Gatorade, Lids, and The Olympic Club Foundation, the oldest athletic club in the world, established in San Francisco in 1860. Events included court painting, basketball workshops, and youth development programs designed to leave a lasting impact beyond the festivities.

Digital Platforms Drive Engagement

The NBA’s commitment to digital innovation was evident throughout the weekend. Viral moments, such as Mac McClung’s gravity-defying dunk over a Kia, took over social feeds on TikTok, Instagram, YouTube Shorts, and Snapchat.

Mohan emphasized with Bankson how digital platforms are transforming sports from passive viewing to participatory experiences. Fans now engage with sports content in real time, shaping narratives through comments, live streams, and community-driven content. Mohan also shared his excitement about AI’s future role in creating more immersive and personalized fan experiences.

A New Era of Sports Storytelling

The NBA All-Star Weekend in San Francisco wasn’t just a celebration of basketball—it was a landmark moment for the creator economy. From creators like MrBeast and Jesser to executives like Neal Mohan, Kim Larson, and Tara Walpert-Levy at YouTube and Adam Mosseri at Instagram, the event proved that digital creators aren’t just covering sports—they’re transforming how the world experiences them.

As content creators continue to influence everything from fan engagement to community outreach, the future of sports entertainment is looking more interactive, inclusive, and digitally connected than ever before. The NBA All-Star Weekend and surrounding events showcased its significance in the global media landscape thanks to Bay Area-based content creators here at home in San Francisco and beyond.

UPCOMING EVENTS

Inside the Bay Area

FEBRUARY

February 27
The Information’s AI Agenda Live (San Francisco)

MARCH

March 2
Oscars Watch Party with Magic Theatre SF — If you'd like to walk the red carpet, indulge in appetizers and drinks and watch the Oscars on multiple large screens with other locals, this event may be where you want to spend your evening. (San Francisco).

March 5 
ACG Silicon Valley M&A Tech Connect 2025. (Santa Clara)

March 11
Gen Jam SF: Make a Video Game With AI in 3hrs (San Francisco)

March 17-21 
Game Developers Conference — The Leading Event for Game Industry Professionals, Creators, and Innovators (San Francisco)
NVIDIA GTC AI Conference — Their annual everything NVIDIA festival. Last year’s edition was the first to invite creators along with journalists.(San Jose)

March 22 
San Francisco Fashion Community Week Runway Show — The 20th season of San Francisco's award-winning Fashion Community Week fashion show is taking place at the Marker Hotel in Union Square. (San Francisco) 

APRIL

April 3
Stay tuned! On Thursday, April 3rd, we’ll be hosting a Bay Area Creator Economy event. As we finalize details, we’ll keep you updated. If you’re a creator, industry leader, company, or brand in the creator economy, we’d love for you to join us—more details coming soon! (San Francisco)

Beyond the Bay Area

FEBRUARY

February 26-27
Digital Marketing World Forum Asia (Singapore)

February 28
Die Hard or Go Home! — Hosted by Ateliere Creative Technologies with Phil Ranta as MC, connect with fellow creators and explore the latest innovations in live streaming via the Ateliere Live app. Our co-founders Monica Khan and France Tantaido will be in attendance. (Los Angeles)

MARCH

March 3-6
MWC25 Barcelona Mobile World Congress(Barcelona)

March 7-15 
SXSW (South By Southwest) - A premier festival celebrating music, film, tech, and innovation. Catch our co-founder, Jim Louderback, as he takes the stage on March 8th as she shares his thoughts on the past, present and future of the weird creator economy. Our co-founders Cassandra Bankson, France Tantiado, Monica Khan, and Rachel Masters will be in attendance. (Austin)

CO-HOSTED BY THE BAY AREA CREATOR ECONOMY
East Meets West @SXSW

📅Date: Sunday, March 9th
⏰Time: 2:00pm - 7:00pm
📍Location: Inn Cahoot’s Secret Garden, 1221 E 6th St, Austin, TX 78702

We are co-hosting a special event with our friends at Passionfruit and Creator Economy NYC. Join us for an afternoon full of insightful panels, top creators, industry leaders and good times. It's going to be a valuable and friendly gathering. 

👀 Stay on the lookout for registration information!

Have an event you’d like us to include here? If so, please send the event URL to [email protected].

COMMUNITY NEWS

• Los Gatos-based Netflix is exploring bold new moves in the creator economy, including the potential launch of video podcasts and new ways to incorporate more digital-native content so creators, like Ms. Rachel, can engage broader audiences. (Forbes)
  

• YouTube turns 20! Founded in 2005 and based in San Bruno, YouTube has grown into the world’s leading video platform, revolutionizing digital content and the creator economy. Here’s to two decades of creativity, connection, and endless possibilities (NPR)
  

• Following a strategic collaboration with Baron Davis’ BIG and Influencer Platform REACH for NBA All-Star Weekend in San Francisco, Triller, a video-sharing app, made its Nasdaq debut on February 18th—ringing the opening bell under the ticker $ILLR and marking a major milestone in its mission to empower creators with innovative video-sharing technology. (PR Newswire & Yahoo Finance)
  

• Celebrated San Francisco chef Geoffrey Lee has stepped down from all three of his restaurants after screenshots of verbally abusive messages directed at an influencer surfaced on social media (The San Francisco Standard)
  

• San Francisco yoga and wellness influencer Laureise Livingston recounts how her dream home in the woods turned into a $10K pest-infested nightmare—and shares tips on how to avoid similar costly repairs.
  

• Influencer Marketing Hub profiles the leading CEOs of San Francisco’s influencer marketing agencies, showcasing their innovative leadership strategies and the significant impact they have on shaping the industry (Influencer Marketing Hub)
  

• Renowned Bay Area sports photographer Jordan Jimenez aka JSquared launches Maraud, a new streetwear line celebrating athletic excellence and urban style. He shares interest in organizing photo walks for Bay Area creatives. (48 Hills)
  

• San Francisco-based Patreon's State of Create report reveals how creators' attitudes have changed, and what the future holds for the creator economy (Patreon)

Jobs

• Social Expert and Content Creator @ 23andMe (Sunnyvale)

• Engineer Manager @ Substack (San Francisco)

• Head of Games Growth and Monetization / Oculus @ Meta (Burlingame)

• Strategic Partner Development Manager, Sports Business @ YouTube (San Bruno)

• Senior Manager, Lead Video Editor @ Snowflake (San Mateo)

  Have a job you’d like us to include here? Send the job posting URL to [email protected].

“HELLA BAY AREA” CREATOR PICK

Ashley Hughes (@_gildedashes), co-founder of Oakland's Town Strides run club shares her perspective on why community builders hosting IRL experiences are becoming the new "it" influencers. Ashley’s mission is to help creators feel less alone in their content journey while bringing incredible real-life experiences to the community.

In her TikTok, she features her NBA All-Star weekend run and brunch meetup, where her run club Town Strides collaborated with Run With The Winners run club and Hennessy. Follow Ashley (@_gildedashes) on Instagram and TikTok for a behind-the-scenes look at influencer marketing and how she fosters brand collaborations.

If you are a Bay Area Creator and have a piece of content you’d like for us to share, email it to us at [email protected]

Are you interested in contributing to the community or sponsoring an event? 

Email us at [email protected]