On the sidelines of the game NBA moved to Paris tonight between the Chicago Bulls and the Detroit Pistons (January 19) and of which Deezer is the official music streaming partner, Maria Garrido, Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) of Deezer gave us an interview.
An opportunity to find out more about this partnership and the various initiatives implemented, including the gigantic karaoke that will be offered to spectators at the Accor Arena.
Sports Buzz Business: What is the genesis of this partnership with the NBA?
Maria Garrido: For us, sport and music is a marriage “made in heaven” as they say in the United States, because music is always omnipresent in sport. Music and sport are unifying elements that bring people together and contribute to moments of sharing for an audience. Sport is a topic that has interested us for a long time. We had already worked in sports a long time ago (Manchester United in 2016 or BNP Paribas Masters).
From 2021 we started again with GP Explorer and Squeezie. We were very pleased with the results, which encouraged us to continue in sports this year. Our dear friends from the NBA contacted us as they are expanding their presence in Europe. With this game in Paris, the NBA was looking for an official French music streaming partner to sponsor the game. They arrived at the right time with the right proposition and as it fit our strategy perfectly, we said “YES! It will be a great first time for Deezer to be in an NBA game.
SBB: So the choice of Deezer, a French company, for the NBA was obvious for a game moved to Paris?
MG: Yes, it was obvious for the NBA, but also for us!
“We will put on the big screen the lyrics of a song that is very well known in France thanks to recent sporting events”
SBB: Is this a partnership that can continue in the NBA and thus continue in the US?
MG: Ah, the US is much harder to conquer. For now it’s a first attempt for us, we’ll see how it goes. We have a lot of fun during the game, it’s not only during the game that great things will happen, but also afterwards. Inside the NBA House (Editor’s note: living space installed at the Aérogare des Invalides from 19 to 22 January), we’ll be animating the whole space over the weekend. What has also been very interesting to us with the NBA is that beyond the game that takes place at the Accor Arena, it’s the global influence, both for the NBA and all the brands that sponsor the event. We’ll see how it goes. But we are very very positive!
SBB: Right, speaking of animations, you announced that Deezer would animate a karaoke during the break of the third quarter, how will it unfold?
MG: We already did it last year at music festivals and it went really well. I go back to what I said at the beginning: music brings people together in a moment of strong emotion. Then, during the break in the third quarter, we will put on the giant screen above the “basketball court” the lyrics of a song that is very well known in France thanks to recent sporting events, I won’t tell you which because I don’t want to reveal the secret of the song… Let’s text and ask people to sing and dance for 1 minute, 1 minute and 30. NBA cameras will also roll around the stadium to see how people sing and dance during this little karaoke.
“Music has always been associated with sport”
FFS: There will also be other activations, can you tell us more?
MG: Right after the game, there’s an exclusive “after party” where we put on a DJ set to bring the space to life. At this “after party” there will be only big personalities and celebrities. It is undoubtedly one of the most awaited sporting events of the year, we won’t be surprised if there are other sportsmen who don’t necessarily come from basketball. Then we will be at the after party with our DJ and our Deezer booth. Next, at the NBA House, throughout the weekend, we will also have a DJ booth and an entertainment booth with a wheel of fortune that will allow the public to win NBA merchandise co-branded with Deezer, Deezer season tickets and discounts on the NBA store.
SBB: Spotify recently partnered with the football club FC Barcelona. Is it an obligation for music listening platforms to associate themselves with “spectacular sport”?
MG: I don’t know if it’s a trend, I think music has always been associated with sport. I think it really is a perfect marriage. This is nothing new, I don’t know if we will see other collaborations like this in the future. It’s great for Spotify to be with Barça, but I’m more Real Madrid (laughs). As a Spaniard and not a Catalan, I’m more for Real than Barça.
FFS: Do some NBA players have a Deezer account?
MG: That’s a good question! I don’t know, but maybe after Thursday night’s game it will change.
SBB: Could Deezer be associated with other sporting events in the near future, not just basketball?
MG: We will do our calculations on the return on investment of this match and then we will tell you! (laughs)
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