TOKYO – The National Basketball Association (NBA) and Rakuten Group, Inc. today announced that ticket presales for the NBA Japan Games 2022 Presented by Rakuten will begin in Japan today (Monday, April 18) at 3 p.m. JST^*1 via Rakuten Ticket, Rakuten Group’s ticket service.  Fans can visit this dedicated website for an overview of the ticket packages.

The NBA Japan Games Presented by Rakuten will mark the league’s 15^th and 16^th games in the country.  The Golden State Warriors and Washington Wizards will play two preseason games when they meet at 7 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 30 at Saitama Super Arena, followed by a rematch at 2 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 2.

In addition to the two preseason games, NBA Japan Games Saturday Night 2022 Presented by Rakuten will be held Saturday, Oct. 1 at 5 p.m. at Saitama Super Arena, celebrating the game of basketball and showcasing the convergence of the NBA and popular culture for a unique fan experience.  NBA Japan Games Saturday Night 2022 Presented by Rakuten will feature players from both the Warriors and Wizards, as well as special celebrity guests and NBA Legends.  Event highlights include a slam dunk contest featuring professional dunkers, a Shooting Stars challenge and a three-point contest featuring NBA Players, and more.

Pricing for game tickets begins at 8,000 yen^*2, while pricing for tickets to Saturday Night fan experience begins at 2,000 yen.

Ticket sales will start with a ticket presale lottery for “Two Day Tickets” (Game 1 + Saturday Night, or Game 2 + Saturday Night).  After the winners of this round are selected, a second ticket presale lottery will be held for “Single Day Tickets” (Game 1, Game 2, or Saturday Night).

Beginning today (Monday, April 18) at 3 p.m., first access to these two rounds of ticket presales will be granted to Season Plan and Annual Plan subscribers^*3 of NBA Rakuten, the one-stop destination for fans in Japan to watch NBA games and programming.

From Friday, May 13 at 3 p.m., NBA Rakuten Monthly Plan subscribers will then be granted access to a Two Day Tickets presale ticket lottery first, followed by one for Single Day Tickets. NBA Rakuten Basic Plan subscribers will get access beginning Wednesday, June 8 at 3 p.m.

On Monday, July 4 at 3 p.m., access to the ticket presale lottery will be granted to all Rakuten members^*4.  General ticket sales for the public will begin on Monday, Aug. 22 at 3 p.m. on a first-come first-served basis.

NBA Japan Games 2022 Presented by Rakuten ticket presales overview

Tickets will be sold for the following events

• Friday, Sept. 30, 7 p.m. – Golden State Warriors vs. Washington Wizards

• Saturday, Oct. 1, 5 p.m. – NBA Japan Games 2022 Saturday Night

• Sunday, Oct. 2, 2 p.m. – Golden State Warriors vs. Washington Wizards

Venue

Saitama Super Arena (8 Shintoshin, Chuo-ku, Saitama-shi, Saitama Prefecture, Japan)

*Participating NBA players and special guests are to be determined.  Updates will be released on the official event website.

*Participating Warriors and Wizards players will not represent the entirety of either team’s roster.

*Other information will be released through the official event website as it becomes available.

Ticket presales schedule

• Starting Monday, April 18 at 3 p.m. – NBA Rakuten Season Plan and Annual Plan subscribers receive access to presale lottery^*3

• Starting Friday, May 13 at 3 p.m. – NBA Rakuten Monthly Plan subscribers also receive access to presale lottery^*3

• Starting Wednesday, June 8 at 3 p.m. – NBA Rakuten Basic Pass subscribers also receive access to presale lottery^*3

• Starting Monday, July 4 at 3 p.m. – All Rakuten Members receive access to presale lottery

• Starting Monday, Aug. 22 at 3 p.m. – General ticket sales begin

*Sales will end when seats are no longer available.

Seat tiers and pricing

• Court area (four tiers): 140,000 yen – 420,000 yen

• Arena stand area (13 tiers): 8,000 yen – 123,000 yen

 *Above pricing refers to single game tickets.

*For more detailed information about seating, pricing tiers and NBA Japan Games Saturday Night 2022 Presented by Rakuten, please visit the ticket presales page listed below.

*Ticket presale plans are subject to change in response to developments in the COVID-19 pandemic.

Ticket presale website

https://nba.rakuten.co.jp/special/nbajapangames2022.html (page in Japanese)

*Please visit the link above for more detailed information on ticket presale schedule and lottery eligibility.

^*1 All dates and times listed in this press release are given in Japan Standard Time (JST).

^*2 All prices listed in this press release include tax.

^*3 NBA Rakuten subscribers, regardless of subscription plan, must be under contract when ticket presale lottery access is granted in order to be eligible.

^*4 Sign up to be a Rakuten member for free here.

About the NBA
The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a global sports and media organization with the mission to inspire and connect people everywhere through the power of basketball.  Built around five professional sports leagues: the NBA, WNBA, NBA G League, NBA 2K League and Basketball Africa League, the NBA has established a major international presence with games and programming available in 215 countries and territories in more than 50 languages, and merchandise for sale in more than 200 countries and territories on all seven continents.  NBA rosters at the start of the 2021-22 season featured a record 121 international players from 40 countries.  NBA Digital’s assets include NBA TV, NBA.com, the NBA App and NBA League Pass.  The NBA has created one of the largest social media communities in the world, with 2.1 billion likes and followers globally across all league, team, and player platforms.  Through NBA Cares, the league addresses important social issues by working with internationally recognized youth-serving organizations that support education, youth and family development, and health-related causes.

About Rakuten
Rakuten Group, Inc. (TSE: 4755) is a global leader in internet services that empower individuals, communities, businesses and society.  Founded in Tokyo in 1997 as an online marketplace, Rakuten has expanded to offer services in e-commerce, fintech, digital content and communications to approximately 1.6 billion members around the world.  The Rakuten Group has over 28,000 employees, and operations in 30 countries and regions.  For more information visit https://global.rakuten.com/corp/.