No. 11 Kyrie Irving of the Dallas Mavericks drives to the basket during the 2026 NBA China Game on October 11, 2026 in Macau, China.
Juan Ocampo | National Basketball Association | Getty Images
Dallas resident Barrington Trail said when he read about the NBA China Game in his local newspaper, he knew it was the perfect gift for his wife for their 53rd wedding anniversary.
“I’m going after the Mavericks… and she’s going after the Rockets,” he said at The Venetian Macau, which hosted games on Oct. 9 and 11. “I decided, hey, I’m going to give you a treat. We’re going to China.” Less than a week before the tipoff, they planned their first trip to Asia and brought their son Dominic with them.
The two Texas teams faced off in two preseason games over the weekend in the 2026 NBA China Game, the second installment of a five-year agreement to host the event in Macau.
This decision led the Traille family to participate in one of the fastest growing trends in the travel industry: live event tourism, which includes traveling to attend music concerts, sporting events, and business conferences.
The 2026 NBA China Games will combine all three, blending professional basketball games, fan events featuring K-pop performances, and off-court summits with speakers ranging from Alibaba chairman Joe Tsai to sports stars Yao Ming and David Beckham.
Yao Ming and David Beckham attend the 2026 NBA China Game between Dallas Mavericks and Houston Rockets at Venetian Arena on the Cotai Strip in Macau, China on October 11, 2026.
Wu Zhizhao | Getty Images
When Taylor Swift’s Elas Tour ends in 2024, the value of live events will have reached $1.5 trillion, according to a report from consulting firm Carney. By 2030, this sector is expected to reach nearly $2.8 trillion.
For the NBA, the game is a chance to expand its international fan base in China, where basketball has long ranked as one of the country’s top sports. The game has been boosted by the success of former players Yao Ming and Jeremy Lin, and more recently by current Chinese players such as Yang Hansen of the Portland Trail Blazers.
And that fandom raises money beyond the NBA and into the broader international sports landscape, from the growing collectibles industry to overseas partnerships.
In 2025, Luckin Coffee, China’s largest coffee chain, will become the official coffee sponsor of the Portland Trail Blazers, following previous partnerships with the NBA China Games and the Houston Rockets.
“It’s not just about media exposure,” Chairman David Lee told CNBC on Thursday. “Sports embodies discipline, professionalism (and) healthy living, which are deeply ingrained in Luckin’s brand DNA.”
With trillions of dollars at stake worldwide, live events are fiercely contested off the court, with countries vying for the right to host them, bringing international money and prestige to their cities. Successful events may include coordinating national visa policies, city-level infrastructure spending, and securing expertise in the private hospitality sector.
The rewards, in terms of income and international attention, can be huge. Mr Carney said the 2025 Australian Grand Prix would generate more than $300 million in revenue for Melbourne, while the 2025 Singapore F1 race would reach more than 2 billion social media users.
For Macau, the benefits of hosting the NBA China Games from 2025 to 2030 will facilitate the SAR’s efforts to diversify beyond gaming.
“Games are important,” said Maria Helena de Sena Fernandez, director of the Macau Tourism Board. “But at the same time, we also need to develop other activities and other types of industries so that we don’t put all our eggs in one basket.”
The six gaming operators in Macau are part of a commitment to have non-gaming account for 60% of Macau’s GDP by 2030. When new gaming concessions are granted in 2022, the six operators have pledged to invest a combined 118.8 billion Macanese Pataca ($14.7 billion), with more than 90% of this committed to developing new overseas markets and non-gaming projects such as live music and sporting events.
The Trail family is glad to be in Macau.
“It’s great,” Barrington said. “Little Las Vegas.”
Dominic, who works in the hotel industry in Texas, agrees.
“There’s a lot of money here,” he pointed out.
