The NBA has announced a very unique partnership with IMG to broadcast live basketball games on Sport 24, a 24/7 sports channel available on several international airlines including Italy’s Alitalia, UAE’s Emirates, and Germany’s Lufthansa. The sports channel brings passengers live sports events, coverage, commentary, and news. In addition to the NBA, Sport 24 covers the UEFA Champions League, the Rugby World Cup, and the English Premiere League among other sporting events.
The NBA broadcast lineup on Sport 24 will include more than 100 live games (regular-season, playoff, and Finals). The NBA chose IMG because IMG owns Sport 24, which has built successful partnerships within the airline industry, particularly high-end international carriers.
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The partnership is a small but innovative move by the NBA to continue the global promotion. of their product. Another global-minded move by the league came early this week with the announcement to broadcast games through virtual reality systems technology. The Sacramento Kings franchise actually went as far as to buy their own equity stake in a virtual reality company, VOKE.
The NBA’s efforts to expand their league worldwide are well documented. According to a Forbes online article, basketball is second to soccer in worldwide popularity, and the NBA has a lot to do with the advancement of the sport. The NBA has made investments overseas through selling merchandise and television rights in other countries. In addition, the NBA has attracted talent from other countries to play, which has broadened the fan base as well.
Investing in television rights, technology, and media exposure across the globe has been a huge success for the league as it continues to be a more global sport compared to other American sports leagues such as the NFL, MLB, and NHL.
This deal with IMG certainly advances that notion. And afterall, what better way to reach a captive international audience then when they are stuck on a long flight?