The National Basketball Association (NBA) played in Macau over the weekend, marking the first games to be played in a region of the People’s Republic of China since 2019.
The Brooklyn Nets and Phoenix Suns played two preseason games at the Venetian Arena in Macau. The matches took place on October 10 and October 12. These games marked the 15th NBA China Games, a series which began in 2004 and has included 28 preseason games.
The last NBA game to be played within China was six years ago when the Nets played the LA Lakers in Shanghai and Shenzhen.
The absence of the NBA followed a disagreement in 2019 after former Houston Rockets General Manager Daryl Morey expressed support for Hong Kong’s anti-government protests on social media.
This led to Chinese broadcasters CCTV and Tencent pulling NBA games from their platforms. Although the dispute was resolved in 2022 enough damage had been done that the league chose not to return. A number of sponsorships within the region had also come to an end.
Making up for lost revenue
The recent games in Macau suggest the NBA is taking its first steps to rebuild its relationship with China.
The two matches were made possible through a partnership between the league and Sands China, which is a subsidiary of Las Vegas Sands and runs resorts and casinos in Macau.
This partnership may become the foundation for future preseason games in Mainland China, as the South China Morning Post reported NBA commissioner Adam Silver saying: “Games can take place in other parts of China, concurrent with our Macau arrangement.”
However, making amends won’t be easy. The league faces a challenge to regain its commercial power. CNN reported in 2019 that China made up at least 10% of NBA revenue, predicting it could reach 20% by 2030.
Forging new deals
Despite losing the majority of its previous sponsorship deals, the NBA is forging new partnerships. Before the Suns and Nets games, the league announced a multi-year partnership with Alibaba Cloud, the technology arm of Alibaba Group.
As part of the agreement, Alibaba Cloud will develop tools to improve live viewing and fan engagement. This covers major events such as the NBA All-Star Game, the NBA Playoffs and the NBA Finals.
Brooklyn Nets Governor Joe Tsai, who is also the Chairman of Alibaba Group, played a key role in securing the agreement. Commenting on the deal, he said: “It is an exciting time at the intersection of sports and technology.
“AI and cloud technologies are enablers of connection between player and fan, brand and consumer, global vision and local culture. By collaborating with NBA China and introducing Alibaba’s latest innovations, we are here to excite NBA fans through the enablement of exceptional experiences that they’ve never seen before.”
