NBA to Stage First Regular-Season Game in Manchester as Spurs-Pelicans Double Header Heads to Paris and Manchester in Jan 2027

The San Antonio Spurs and New Orleans Pelicans will meet twice within 72 hours, first at Paris’s Accor Arena and then at Manchester’s Co-op Live arena. This follows a similar format used earlier in 2024 when the Orlando Magic and Memphis Grizzlies played in Berlin and London. The NBA has also announced a double header slated for Berlin and Paris in 2028.

Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester, said hosting the games offers local fans a chance to see NBA players locally. George Aivazoglou, NBA managing director for Europe and the Middle East, noted the fixtures reflect basketball momentum in France, the United Kingdom and wider Europe. Victor Wembanyama, the Spurs’ French centre, finished third in the 2024‑25 NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP) voting.

The series underscores the NBA’s strategy to test European markets ahead of a potential league run by the NBA in Europe, which could launch as early as the 2027‑28 season. Hosting games in two European cities provides data on attendance, broadcast rights and sponsorship interest. The league will use the outcomes to refine its expansion plans for the continent.