On April 18, 2018, the NBA 2K League and Twitch announced a multiyear partnership to live stream all games.

[6] In the same year, the league agreed to a broadcast deal with Loco, a live streaming and esports platform in India, which was renewed in 2022.

[7] In 2022 Stadium, NBA TV and the league agreed to broadcast select playoff and championship games.

Following the two tournaments, teams that did not qualify automatically for the playoffs competed in a last-chance tournament—the Steal in 3v3 and the Ticket in 5v5—with the two teams advancing to the finals of the last-chance tournament earning the final playoff berths, as well as additional prize money.

[8] In the 5v5 playoffs, the 12 teams competed in a single-elimination tournament comprising best-of-three series, split by conference, until the best-of-five NBA 2K League 5v5 Finals.

The 3v3 playoffs featured a double-elimination format and best-of-five series until the best-of-seven NBA 2K League 3v3 Finals.

In 2021, the league conducted play remotely until the playoffs, which took place in Dallas at the Mavs Gaming facility.

Players sign six-month contracts and have their relocation and housing costs covered by the league and teams, as well as benefits such as medical insurance and a retirement plan.

[14][13] A special build of the newest NBA 2K game is used for the league, with equipment provided by Alienware and Intel.

Both modes saw the removal of regular season play in favor of tournaments a seed weeks to determine playoff standings.

[22] Pistons GT won the first-ever NBA 2K League 3v3 Finals, defeating Wizards District Gaming.

For the 2023 season, the league altered the format to separate the 3v3 and 5v5 splits, as well as extending the tournament group play process and removing the additional seed week games.

DUX Infinitos claimed the 3v3 title for the first time in franchise history, defeating Pistons GT in a bracket reset finals.

Subsequently, the league announced that it will go on hiatus for eighteen months while it undergoes a major overhaul amidst recent challenges in the esports industry as a whole.