As the Milwaukee Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo represents Greece on the basketball court at the Paris Olympics, another member of the Bucks family will be playing a key role behind the scenes. Johnny Watson, the Bucks’ executive producer of broadcast and live events, has been tapped to serve as the venue producer for all men’s and women’s basketball games at the Olympics.
Watson’s responsibilities will include show-calling the in-arena presentations, which encompasses producing the videos, graphics, music, special effects, lighting, on-court entertainment, and national anthems. To pull this off, he’ll be working with a crew of at least 25 people per game, hailing from around the world.
This isn’t Watson’s first stab at the Olympics. He previously worked the men’s basketball games and women’s basketball medal rounds at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics, one where a Kevin Durant-led Team USA won the gold, as well as the FIBA Basketball World Cup in 2019 and 2023. He says the job is nearly identical to what he does for Bucks games at Fiserv Forum, just on a grander international stage.
Watson’s Olympic journey began months ago with planning meetings to iron out processes, staffing, and logistics. Now in Paris, he’s arrived in Lille, where the group phases will take place, and will later head to Paris proper for the medal rounds.
Milwaukee Bucks’ Johnny Watson Honored For Role in 2024 Paris Olympics
Using his experience in producing broadcast-worthy games for Antetokounmpo and company, Watson has showcased his expertise to a global audience. In turn, the Bucks producer has expressed his gratitude, as seen in an article written by Hannah Kirby for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
“It’s one of the most prominent sporting entertainment in the world,” Watson said. “It’s a huge deal. I’m honored.”
In addition to his Olympic duties, Watson will also be heading to the US Open in New York next month as a stadium director – a “bucket list lifelong dream” for the former All-American tennis player. The Bucks have been supportive of Watson’s professional development, allowing him to take on these high-profile opportunities during the offseason.
It’s clear that Watson’s influence extends far beyond the confines of Milwaukee, as he represents the Bucks organization on the global stage of the Olympics and beyond. With him serving behind the scenes, basketball fans all over the world will be in for a show in the coming weeks.
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