INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Cord-cutting basketball fans now have a new option for their non-stop hoops coverage
NBA TV is officially launching a direct-to-consumer subscription service today, making it the first linear TV sports league network to go
The service, which will be available both on the web at NBA.com and through the NBA app, will include more than 100 exclusive, out-of-market
live games, original programming and on-demand video for $6.99 per month.
You can also pay the annual price of $59.99 for a small
discount.
The launch won&t impact customers with pay-TV subscriptions, as they&ll still be able to watch NBA TV by authenticating with their
TV provider.
NBA Digital, which is managed jointly by the NBA and Turner Sports, recently announced a new franchise called &Center Court&
where it will experiment with viewing enhancements, including new camera angles, live on-screen group chats with celeb influencers, in-depth
analytics and statistical graphics, and more.
These games (a list is here) will also be featured on NBA TV through the main Center Court
broadcast as well as on the web and mobile, where fans can find the enhanced &frontcourt& and &backcourt& streams
The &frontcourt& streams will incorporate the alternative audio options with rotating groups of NBA influencers, while the &backcourt&
streams will feature the Second Spectrum technology, including the statistical overlays.
Center Court coverage will be available through the
2019-2020 season.
In addition to the enhanced games, NBA TV promises more than 100 nationally televised out-of-market games, plus other
live games from the WNBA, NBA G League and NBA Summer League
The service also has original programming that includes studio shows and reporting, magazine-style shows like &Beyond the Point,& talent
franchises like &Shaqtin& a Fool,& a pre-game show, &The Warm Up& and nightly shows like &NBA Crunchtime& and &NBA Game Time.&
New shows
that focus on social conversations, legends and current players include &The List,& &#Handles,& &Say What,& &High Tops& and &Basketball
Stories.& And the service includes 24/7 access to classic games, the NBA Finals from 2000-2019 and other archival content.
NBA TV
subscribers also will be able to buy an NBA League Pass, the premium subscription to all NBA games, from the same NBA app and website where
they can buy or add on NBA TV, starting today.
Once subscribed, NBA TV can be watched via the web, mobile or through connected TV devices
and game consoles.
&Innovation has always been at the core of our NBA Digital partnership and the launch of this direct to consumer product,
paired with new content initiatives, will provide NBA fans even greater opportunities to engage with NBA TV and our collective portfolio of
brands,& said Tina Shah, executive vice president and general manager, Turner Sports, in a statement
&As sports consumption continues to evolve, we will continue to develop new opportunities for fans to access and engage with premium NBA
content.&
Access to live sports is one of the areas that stop fans from fully cutting the cord with traditional pay TV
But a variety of resources have cropped up over the years to make that transition easier, including those dedicated to particular sports —
like the MLB over-the-top offering MLB.TV — or live-streamed games across social media and elsewhere, as with the NFL games on Amazon
There are also entire services, like fuboTV that grew out of sports& fans needs for a more comprehensive live sports offering.
But even with
new ways to watch, blackout restrictions often keep fans tied to pay TV, perhaps using a friend account to log in and authenticate…or even
NBA TV won&t solve this problem, either, but it can help fans view more games and NBA content.
