NATIONAL Basketball Association (NBA) licensed merchandise will soon be available in Decathlon stores in the country after the French sporting goods retailer was recently named an official licensee of the United States-based basketball league.

In an announcement officially made on Friday, the NBA said it signed a multiyear merchandising partnership with Decathlon, making the latter an official licensee of the NBA across Africa, Asia, Europe, the Middle East and Latin America.

The deal marks Decathlon’s first partnership with a North American sports league.

Under the deal, a dedicated range of NBA team and league-branded base layers, accessories and footwear designed by Decathlon and sold under its basketball brand Tarmak will be made available in Decathlon stores worldwide, including those in the Philippines, and online at Decathlon.com.

Products will be available for pre-order beginning in March this year ahead of the April launch in stores.

“Since the creation of Tarmak four years ago, it has been our dream to collaborate with the NBA, the greatest basketball league in the world,” said Tarmark leader Damien Dezitter in a release. “We have a common objective to develop basketball all over the world, so it’s natural to work together to make this possible.”

The same sentiments were shared by the NBA, with Steve Griffiths, NBA EME Director, Global Partnerships, saying, “We are excited to partner with Decathlon, a leader in sporting goods retail with a global footprint. Through this partnership, NBA fans and basketball players around the world will have access to an exciting and innovative range of merchandise to help them get in the game.”

Decathlon Philippines trumpeted the recent deal, posting on its official Facebook page “that something exciting with the NBA” is coming in March.

The sporting goods retailer set up its first store in the country in 2017 at the Festival Mall in Alabang, Muntinlupa. Company officials back then said that the reason they opened shop in the country is in recognition of the vibrant sports and active lifestyle scene in the Philippines.

Aside from popular sports such basketball, football, volleyball, and running, Decathlon stores in the country also have products for hiking, rollerblading, dancing, and fishing, among others.

Other Decathlon stores are located at Tiendesitas in Pasig City and in Masinag in Antipolo City. — Michael Angelo S. Murillo

RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR