The National Basketball Association has concluded a multi-year sponsorship and cross-marketing agreement with Francaise des Jeux, the first such overseas deal for a U.S. sports league.
The exclusive partnership allows FDJ—France’s government-sponsored betting and lottery operator—to use official NBA data, promote the NBA as part of the services of its ParionsSport bookmaking brand across its land-based and digital platforms, and develop best practices to protect the integrity of the league’s games.
ParionsSport, which operates 27,000 retail locations across France, also will gain exposure to the league’s social media platforms: NBA.com, NBA App and NBA France.
“Partnering with the NBA, the most prestigious basketball league in the world, will allow ParionsSport to get even closer to the action and offer a more refined gaming experience for gamers enabling us to reach yet more fans,” said Richard Courtois, head of gaming operations for FDJ.
Vandana Balachandar, the NBA’s vice president of global partnerships for Europe and the Middle East, likewise hailed the collaboration, saying it “will result in the best possible gaming and entertainment experience for consumers”.
“Basketball is one of the most popular sports globally,” added Courtois, “and as a result of this partnership it will become even more popular and inspirational for our customers.”
