(Image source from: Indiana Sports Coverage)

The National Basketball Association will be hosting its first pre-season games in India on October 4 and 5, which will be a treat to Indian basketball fans. Besides, the popular American sports league has partnered with online ticketing platform BookMyShow to promote and market the event in the country.

In India, the pre-match games will be played between Indiana Pacers and Sacramento Kings at over 4,000-seater NSCI Dome in Mumbai which has hosted Pro Kabbadi League matches. These matches are a prelude to the 74th season of NBA, which will kickstart in October end and end in April 2020.

“It’s a strategic partnership with NBA which will bring an international league’s pre-match to India for the first time. The game will be played in India and will be telecasted live in 200 other countries. We are putting together various packages which will be bundled with and without food and beverages ensuring a carnival-like experience for the fans," said Albert Almeida, chief operating officer - live entertainment, BookMyShow.

According to sports industry experts, the match tickets are expected to start at Rs 4,500 going up to over Rs 1 lakh, giving fans a wide variety of options to choose from. Fans will be able to register for the event in the first week of August after the NBA makes the formal announcement.

The match will be telecast on Sony Pictures Sports Network which is the broadcast partner of NBA in India.

“On our platform, while booking the tickets fans will be able to see the 3D view from their chosen seats and decide accordingly," added Almeida.

According to the NBA, it has been witnessing double-digit viewership growth in India making it a strong growth market for them.

By Sowmya Sangam