Decathlon links with NBA for "dream" basketball deal

By

Sandra Halliday

Published
Feb 9, 2021

France’s Decathlon has been named official licensee to the US-based National Basketball Association (NBA). The retailer said NBA licensed merchandise will launch in over 1,200 Decathlon stores and online from April, with pre-order available from next month across Latin America, Europe, Asia, the Middle East and Africa. 

It’s the sports giant’s first partnership with a North American sports league and is a key endorsement of the retailer's basketball deep dive given the importance of the NBA to the sport worldwide.

Basketball's popularity is growing around the world and Decathlon entered the sector in a big way four years ago with the launch of its Tarmak label.

Tarmak brand head Damien Dezitter said it has been the firm's "dream to collaborate with the NBA, the greatest basketball league in the world. We have a common objective to develop basketball all over the world, so it’s natural to work together to make this possible.”  

The deal will also help raise the profile fo the NBA still further around the world.