It’s been a very busy seven days for Facebook who has seen their brand value race up Interbrand’s annual “Best Global Brands” on the back of becoming the first service to simulcast a live sports program.

Climbing up to 23rd on Interbrand’s list, Facebook has climbed above the likes of American Express, Pepsi and Budweiser with an outstanding leap that saw it’s value double to US$22 billion between 2014 and 2015 (an increase of 54%).

Debuting their NBA TV episode of NBA Real Training Camp with the Cleveland Cavaliers on October 1, Facebook has seemed to finally realise the full potential of being such intimate partners with the NBA, a relationship that has been established since 2007.

In the first of many Facebook simulcasts that will include Minnesota, Milwaukee and Memphis, the streams are hosted by former club insiders as well as NBA TV hosts and show portions of practice, player and coach interviews and interviews with front-office executives.

While it’s hard to directly attribute Facebook’s skyrocketing brand value to the streaming of these NBA TV shows, it’s clear that the social media platform has found a way to utilise its relationship with the NBA while also using the star power of the likes of LeBron James and Kyrie Irving.

James has a combined Facebook and Twitter social media following of 46 million while Irving, who isn’t exactly in the same bracket of James, still has over 4.5 million Facebook and Twitter followers combined.

In a very interesting twist considering many predicted Facebook’s decline in 2015, it’s brand value leaves the Twitter and Snapchat brands for dead with them not even featuring in the top 32. Facebook also has top sports-only brand Nike in its cross-hares which sits in 17th place and experienced a much smaller brand value growth.

In addition to Facebook’s stunning increase in 2015, it’s the tech companies that solidified their spots in the top 20 with Samsung, IBM, Microsoft, Google and Apple making up the majority of the top 10. Microsoft enjoyed growth after releasing a number of new products in 2015 while Google’s ventures into VR has kept its brand ticking over nicely.