The NBA Global Games will resume next month after a two-year break due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The league plans to host pre-season contests for Japan and Abu Dhabi, while Paris and Mexico City will host the regular games.
The NBA is extremely popular worldwide with over 70 percent of its social media followers coming from outside the United States. Mark Tatum, the deputy commissioner for the NBA, acknowledged the international presence.
“We’re so excited to be bringing our live games back to our fans around the world,” said Tatum. “It’s a way for us to bring cultures together, to bring people together and to bring our fans together.”
Though the NBA already offers support for overseas fans by broadcasting to more than 200 nations in over 50 languages, it will be looking to host live games. Tatum describes the live games as “an important part of our business strategy.” Around a quarter of players in the NBA are from outside the U.S., improving the engagement of fans in overseas markets.
“There’s nothing like going to an NBA game for the hundreds of millions of fans around the world and we want fans to experience the game live,” Tatum added.
While the NBA suffered difficulties during the pandemic, the organization is confident that the return of global games will be a success. However, safety will be a large focus going forwards. A vast majority of NBA players and staff are vaccinated, and the organization will consult doctors and officials before finalizing a specific schedule to ensure the safety of fans.
“It has been very difficult over the last two years with the pandemic. Our first and foremost concern is to have games where we can conduct them in a safe and secure manner,” said Tatum.
“We’ve learned, as the world has learned, to move on with Covid and this is the right time. We’re able to bring back the games. We’re confident we can keep everyone safe and healthy.”
Big events, plans
Tatum is expecting a high turnout for the international events due to how popular certain teams and players are within each region. He pointed out the upcoming pre-season match between the Golden State Warriors and the Washington Wizards on September 30 and October 2.
As the Wizards’ Rui Hachimura is well-known in Japan, Tatum predicts that his presence will bring in more viewers and excitement.
“With the pride they have for him, it’s going to be huge there. These things matter. It’s going to excite people,” Tatum said.
Before the pandemic, the NBA hosted games in India, Mexico, Japan, China, and France. With the Global Games resuming, the organization will also look for opportunities to expand into more venues.
Tatum noted that the organization is more limited by the supply of games rather than the number of viable locations. Italy, Greece, Germany, and London were all considered to be viable places within Europe to host games. Africa and India were also possibilities for expansion.
“The world is a big place. We’ve played in a lot of places but there are still a lot of opportunities,” Tatum said.
“At some point we will be back in India. I could see pre-season, regular-season games in Africa.”