PARIS, March 28, 2019 – The National Basketball Association (NBA) and beIN SPORTS (beIN), the official broadcast partner of the NBA in France, announced today that the Charlotte Hornets and the Milwaukee Bucks will play in the NBA’s first regular-season game in Paris on Friday, January 24, 2020 at the AccorHotels Arena.
Today’s announcement was made live on the NBA Extra show on beIN SPORTS in the presence of Charlotte 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.
Tickets for The NBA Paris Game 2020 Presented by beIN SPORTS will go on sale at a later date. Fans can register their interest in tickets and gain access to presale information and more by visiting NBAEvents.com/ParisGame.
The NBA Paris Game 2020 Presented by beIN SPORTS will mark the Hornets’ second game in Paris, having played a preseason game in the French capital in 1994 against the Golden State Warriors. The Hornets’ roster currently features three-time NBA All-Star Kemba Walker, four-time NBA Champion Tony Parker (France) and fellow countryman Nicolas Batum.
The Bucks will be playing their first game in France, having previously played a regular-season game in London in 2015. The Bucks, who have 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 NBA Paris Game 2020 Presented by beIN SPORTS will be broadcast live in France and across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) on beIN SPORTS, by the NBA’s broadcast partners across Europe, and sub-Saharan Africa, and on NBA League Pass, reaching fans in more than 200 countries and territories around the world.
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 oncourt action, The NBA Paris Game 2020 Presented by beIN SPORTS 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.
The NBA’s presence in France spans more than 35 years, with NBA games and programming on-the-air in France since the 1984-85 season. Fans can currently enjoy a daily customized show ‘NBA Extra’ and 14 live games per week, including two weekend primetime games on beIN SPORTS. Opening-night rosters for the 2018-19 NBA season featured nine French players, more than any European country for the 12th consecutive season. In addition to 10 preseason games in France, the league has conducted interactive fan events, appearances by current and former players, NBA Cares community outreach initiatives, and in 2007, Basketball Without Borders, the NBA and FIBA’s global basketball development and community outreach program. 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.
Fans in France can find more NBA information at NBA.com/France, the NBA’s official website hosted on beinsports.com, from the NBA App (App Store Google Play), and on Facebook (NBA France) and Twitter (@NBAFrance). Fans can also purchase all the latest Hornets and Bucks merchandise at NBAStore.eu.
Executive and Player Quotes:
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver:
“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.”
NBA Europe and Middle East Managing Director Ralph Rivera:
“France has a long tradition and deep affection for the game of basketball. NBA fans from across Europe will flock to Paris to witness the best of the NBA, from our spectacular players, to our game entertainment, mascots, dance teams and all the ancillary events in the community. The AccorHotels Arena will be the place to be on January 24.”
beIN MEDIA GROUP CEO and beIN SPORTS FRANCE President Yousef Al-Obaidly:
“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:
“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.”
Charlotte Hornets Chairman Michael Jordan:
“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.”
Milwaukee Bucks Co-Owner Wes Edens:
“We are honored to be selected to play in the NBA’s first-ever regular season game in Paris. Playing in one of the great cities in Europe continues our goal to extend the global brand of the Bucks. We will be proud to represent Milwaukee and Wisconsin in Paris and we thank the NBA for this exciting opportunity.”
AccorHotels Arena C.E.O Nicolas Dupeux:
“The AccorHotels Arena would like to thank the NBA for its trust and is proud to write a new page of its history, celebrating the return of the NBA in Paris and confirming its rank as a top venue for the biggest sporting events in the world.”
