By: Jack Lee
NEW YORK, October 19, 2026. Yelophant, a Chinese brand specializing in breakfast foods for children, and the New York Knicks, the 2025-26 NBA champions, today announced a strategic partnership naming Yelophant an Official Partner of the team and an Official Pre-Packaged, Ready-to-Heat Asian Breakfast Product of the Knicks. The collaboration will encompass food and hospitality experiences, fan engagement and community activities.
The agreement was signed at Madison Square Garden (MSG) in New York on August 25, 2026. Doug Jossem, Executive Vice President, Global Sports and Entertainment Partnerships at MSG Entertainment, and Rachel Lin, Executive Vice President, International Business at Yelophant, delivered remarks on behalf of the two parties.
Jossem said the partnership would bring the Knicks brand to China while introducing Yelophant and its food products to consumers in the United States, including New York, creating new experiences for fans and consumers in both markets.
At the signing ceremony, Knicks legend John Starks presented Yelophant with an autographed jersey on behalf of the team, welcoming the brand as a global partner. Yelophant presented the Knicks with a bronze ding, a traditional Chinese ceremonial food vessel, to celebrate the team’s championship and convey its wishes for continued success and a championship dynasty.
Connecting Through Food and a Shared Focus on Health
Madison Square Garden’s premium hospitality experience includes dedicated VIP entrances that offer more convenient and private arrival and departure, away from crowded public areas. Guests also have access to private dining and gathering spaces designed for relaxed meals and conversation.
Food is an integral part of that experience. MSG has long worked with Michelin-starred chefs to offer fans dining options alongside its sports and entertainment events
That setting places specific demands on the food served: it must appeal to an international clientele with varied tastes, address the nutritional needs of professional athletes and work across a range of dishes prepared for guests.
Butter flaky pancakes, scallion pancakes and cheese pancakes were served at the signing ceremony. After sampling the scallion pancake, Jossem described it as his favorite, while Starks reached for a second cheese pancake after finishing his first. Lin explained that the cheese pancake combines three varieties of natural cheese, incorporating familiar ingredients into a Chinese breakfast format. The tasting illustrated how the products could appeal to people with different eating habits.
Yelophant said its selection reflected the consistent quality required to move from an initial tasting to use in suite and hospitality menus.
The company describes its product development philosophy as making nutritious food taste good and good-tasting food nutritious. Its team uses two practical questions to guide development: Would they serve the product to their own children every day, and would their children want to eat it every day? Across products ranging from butter flaky pancakes and natural-cheese pancakes to chicken cutlets, Yelophant says it aims to meet athlete-level nutritional standards while offering flavor and convenient preparation for everyday family breakfasts.
Under the partnership, YELOPHANT will provide dedicated menus for MSG suites and hospitality spaces, as well as food for athletes. The same products are already available at retail, allowing them to be prepared by Michelin-starred chefs in a hospitality setting or by parents at home. The company sees this shared focus on taste and nutrition as a link between the New York sports venue and the family breakfast table.
Fan Engagement and Community Programs
The partnership will also extend beyond the arena. A breakfast watch party is being planned in Beijing around the season opener, bringing fans and invited guests together to eat breakfast and watch the game. The two parties also plan to launch Fuel the Future Week in China, featuring youth basketball, community basketball and fan engagement activities. In New York, Yelophant will serve as the Presenting Partner of the Knicks Lunar New Year Theme Night, introducing local fans to Chinese food and holiday traditions.
About Yelophant
Yelophant is a next-generation nutrition brand bringing athlete-level nutritional standards into everyday foods for families. Founded in China in 2020 and expanded to the United States in 2025, Yelophant combines nutritional science with culinary innovation to create convenient, great-tasting foods designed for modern lifestyles, beginning with family breakfast. Yelophant has built a strong consumer following in China and is expanding in the United States through regional retail, e-commerce and strategic partnerships. The brand is also an official sponsor and product provider of China’s National U16-U17 Men’s Basketball Team and U18 Ice Hockey Team, reflecting its long-term commitment to nutrition, sports and the development of the next generation.
Guided by the belief that better nutrition should be part of everyday life, Yelophant is working to make high-quality nutrition more accessible and enjoyable for people of all ages, while building a trusted global brand for the next generation. More information is available at yelophant.com.
