PARIS: The National Basketball Association (NBA) has announced that it will be hosting a regular-season game in Paris on 24 January 2020 for the first time in its history as it expands into French shores.
Qatar-based beIN Sports (beIN) will be broadcasting the game not just in France, but also in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). Milwaukee Bucks will take on Charlotte Hornets, which is owned by NBA legend Michael Jordan.
NBA fans in India are likely to get the opportunity to catch the live action on the NBA League Pass digitally and through official broadcast partners of the league in the Indian subcontinent, Sony Pictures Networks India.
The announcement was made live on the NBA Extra show on beIN Sports in the presence of Hornets Legend Muggsy Bogues and was supported by a marketing, digital and on-air campaign that included banners adorning the Hotel de Ville, branded buses and bespoke content across NBA and beIN Sports digital channels.
The NBA Paris Game 2020 will mark the Hornets’ second game in Paris, having played a pre-season game in the French capital in 1994 against the Golden State Warriors.
The Bucks will be playing their first game in France, having previously played a regular-season game in London in 2015. The team, which has the best record in the NBA, currently feature three-time NBA All-Star Giannis Antetokounmpo (Greece), who led the Eastern Conference in fan votes during NBA All-Star Voting 2019 presented by Google, as well as 2019 NBA All-Star Khris Middleton and 2016-17 Kia NBA Rookie of the Year Malcolm Brogdon.
The game will be the NBA’s 10th game at the AccorHotels Arena since 1991 and the 11th game in France all-time. The game will be supported by a full roster of marketing partners, including presenting partner beIN SPORTS, Beats, Nike, and Tissot, with additional partners to be announced in the coming months.
In addition to the on-court action, the game will feature a variety of interactive fan activities, NBA Cares community outreach initiatives and Jr. NBA basketball programming that will bring the NBA experience to fans in Paris.
Opening-night rosters for the 2018-19 NBA season featured nine French players, more than any European country for the 12th consecutive season. The Jr. NBA ‘Challenges Benjamin(e)s’ program in partnership with the French Basketball Federation (FFBB), now in its 12th year, has seen more than 200,000 boys and girls participate from across the country. The NBA also recently announced an expanded partnership with the Union Nationale du Sport Scolaire (UNSS) to launch two Jr. NBA FFBB UNSS leagues in Paris.
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver stated: “Our NBA Paris Game will showcase the continued global growth of basketball in one of the world’s greatest cities. With France leading a record number of players from Europe in the league, we look forward to bringing together basketball fans from across the continent for the NBA’s first regular-season game in Paris.”
beIN Media Group CEO and beIN Sports France President Yousef Al-Obaidly added: “beIN SPORTS has been a passionate partner of the NBA for the past 7 seasons in France and around the world, producing exceptional coverage to allow sports and entertainment fans to follow the best of American basketball every day on our channels. We are delighted to present this exceptional event alongside the NBA and welcome the prestigious competition to France. This is a unique opportunity for beIN SPORTS as the presenting partner and official broadcaster, and we’re excited to make history with the NBA in France as we continue our mission to become the leading sports and entertainment network in the world.”
Mayor of Paris Anne Hidalgo said: “The return of an NBA game in Paris, after a 10-year absence, is a real victory for our city. It is the result of a commitment by my staff, through all our efforts with the Paris Basketball team and all the sports clubs in Paris. From the successful organization of the 2016 football Euros to the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games, we have successfully put Paris at the forefront of the world’s sporting capitals. I am very happy that in 2020 we can offer such an event to all Parisians, and French lovers of basketball.”
NBA legend and Charlotte Hornets chairman and owner Michael Jordan also commented on the news: “The Charlotte Hornets are proud to have the opportunity to participate in the first NBA regular-season game in Paris. Having played in the preseason in France during my career, I witnessed first-hand the passion the French fans have for NBA basketball. We are excited to bring our team to Paris for this history-making event.”
