LONDON – The National Basketball Association (NBA) today named George Aivazoglou Head of Fan Engagement and Direct-to-Consumer for Europe and the Middle East (EME).  Aivazoglou, an accomplished digital media executive with 15 years of experience in the entertainment and telecommunications industries, will be based in the league’s London office and report to NBA EME Managing Director Ralph Rivera.

In this newly-created role, Aivazoglou will unify all fan touchpoints across EME, including grassroots events, localized marketing, content and communications, with a focus on the region’s direct-to-consumer efforts.

“George has a proven industry track record and comes with a passion and deep understanding for the game of basketball,” said Rivera.  “With the constant evolution of how our fans interact with the NBA, this pivotal role will help us further drive engagement and create new opportunities for us to reach the next generation of fans in the region.”

“I am thrilled to join this iconic league and honored by the opportunity to contribute to an already fantastic team,” said Aivazoglou.  “With more than 60 European players in the league today and a record number of primetime games locally, there has never been a better time to be an NBA fan in Europe.  I simply cannot wait for the season to restart so that we can take their engagement with the game to the next level.”

Previously, Aivazoglou served as Vice President of Marketing and Analytics for Eurosport, where he led all brand, subscriber acquisition, retention and insight efforts across linear and digital platforms globally.  Prior to Eurosport, Aivazolgou was Chief Marketing Officer at ezbob, a leading U.K.-based fintech start-up, and previously held leadership roles at Sky and T-Mobile International.

Aivazoglou, a native of Thessaloniki, Greece, holds a master’s degree in marketing from Athens University of Economics and Business and a bachelor’s degree in international business and economics from the University of Macedonia.  In January 2020, Aivazoglou was appointed to the Council of Trustees of Sense, a U.K.-based charity that offers support to people who have been born deaf-blind.

The 2019-20 NBA season is scheduled to restart Thursday, July 30 with 22 teams returning to play at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Walt Disney World Resort in Florida.