The AccorHotels Arena in Paris will host an NBA match between the Charlotte Hornets and Milwaukee Bucks next year in what will mark the basketball league’s first regular-season fixture in the French capital.
The game will take place on January 24, 2020, with tickets to go on sale at a later date. The game will be presented by beIN Sports, the official broadcast partner of the NBA in France.
AccorHotels Arena has a capacity of 20,300 and has hosted a number of sports and music events since opening in 1984. The arena has hosted nine NBA games since 1991.
Next year’s event will mark the Hornets’ second game in Paris, with the team having played a pre-season game against the Golden State Warriors back in 1994. The Bucks will be playing their first game in France.
A range of fan activities, NBA Cares community outreach initiatives and Jr. NBA basketball programming will also be organised alongside the game.
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 organisation 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.”
AccorHotels Arena chief executive Nicolas Dupeux added: “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.”
NBA commissioner Adam Silver had previously hinted that Paris could stage a game instead of London. The English capital’s O2 Arena has staged a January game for a number of years.
Image: Guilhem Vellut
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