NBA signs deal with Sands China for pre-season games in Macau

Posted by author December 6, 2024 NBA

Spread the love

The National Basketball Association (NBA) has signed a multimillion-dollar agreement to stage pre-season games in Macau, taking the sport to the doorstep of its biggest potential market as it struggles at home to regain the mass viewership it enjoyed before the Covid-19 pandemic.

The NBA plans to host two pre-season games per year over the next five years at The Venetian Arena operated by Sands China in Macau, the former Portuguese territory near Hong Kong and the Chinese city of Zhuhai. The Brooklyn Nets and Phoenix Suns will kick off the deal with two games on October 10 and 12 next year, according to the NBA’s deputy commissioner Mark Tatum.

“It is an exciting day today, as [we] bring the NBA to Macau,” Tatum said. “It is incredible to see the transformation of Macau since [my] last visit in 2008. The most important fan base for the NBA is here in Macau, and we have a partner in Sands China that is investing in sports, so that is why we are bringing the games back.”

The accord, almost two decades in the making since the Cleveland Cavaliers played the Orlando Magic at The Venetian in 2007, is a milestone for the NBA, as it marks the nearest approach to mainland China by the professional league since a 2019 row over a tweet that expressed support for Hong Kong’s anti-government protests. China is the world’s largest basketball market with a fan base estimated at between 300 million and 450 million.

Sands China Limited’s CEO Grant Chum at The Venetian Arena in Macau on 6 December 2024. Photo: Jonathan Wong.

“We are combining our resources with the NBA, and not just doing it for a year, but entering into a multi-year strategic collaboration where we have a series of landmark events at a certain time during the year for several years to come”, said Grant Chum, the CEO of Sands China, in an interview with the Post in Macau. “That brings not just the right content for our visitors, but also enhances the reputation and profile of Macau as an international tourism destination that combines the best of entertainment, hospitality and sports.”