The Milwaukee Bucks are taking their brand global. Last June the team hired two VPs of global partnership sales, one in London and the other, Italian-born Federico Pagliara, based in Chicago, to expand the franchise’s reach beyond the United States. Pagliara’s efforts quickly paid off. While driving through Sicily last August, he managed a challenging hour-long call with Yesim, a Swiss digital SIM card provider interested in its first NBA deal. Despite patchy service, tolls, and a frazzled wife in the passenger seat, the call succeeded. Yesim became the Bucks’ exclusive travel eSIM partner with LED branding inside Fiserv Forum.
The move reflects a larger trend. According to Matt Pazaras, the Bucks’ chief business development and strategy officer, they are close to the point where more of their sponsorship revenue comes from outside the United States than inside.
Trips to London and Germany and the global profile of Giannis Antetokounmpo helped spark the team’s international push. Deals began trickling in from Europe to Southeast Asia, including Wilo, a German sustainable pump company that became the Bucks’ first global sustainability partner and the first patch sponsor for warmup kits.
The Bucks and Giannis Antetokounmpo’s international profile
Aug 6, 2024; Paris, France; Greece small forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) looks on against Germany during a mens basketball quarterfinal game during the Paris 2024 Olympic Summer Games at Accor Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
Recognizing the potential, Pazaras and Bucks President Peter Feigin decided to build an overseas presence rather than rely on agencies. Shivs Thevarr, based in London and formerly with Chelsea FC, joined to lead European sales, while Pagliara divides his time between domestic and international deals. Their work is already connecting the Bucks with global companies they might never have reached otherwise.
“The minute I say it’s the NBA team and I mention the Milwaukee Bucks, people are like, ‘Oh yeah, Giannis,’” Thevarr remarked via Sports Business Journal.
Apr 3, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) looks on before the third quarter against the Philadelphia 76ers at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images
The strategy is anchored by Giannis, whose international profile has made Milwaukee a transatlantic brand since the 2021 championship. Pazaras noted that most fans will never see a team play live, so the commercial approach should match that reality.
From a chaotic phone call in Sicily to securing major international partnerships, the Bucks are redefining what it means for an NBA team to operate globally. Pazaras explained that Pagliara and Thevarr are putting the team in rooms with international companies they would not have reached before, sometimes even in cars.