SUPERSPORT AND NBA ANNOUNCE MULTI YEAR PAN-AFRICAN TELEVISION AND DIGITAL PARTNERSHIP

The National Basketball Association (NBA) and SuperSport, Africa’s premier sports broadcaster, available on the DStv platform, today announced a new multiyear television and digital partnership that will have NBA games and programming televised in 47 territories in Sub-Saharan Africa. As part of the partnership, NBA.com/Africa, the league’s official website for fans in Africa, will be hosted in a dedicated section of Supersport.com.

For the first time, NBA content will be available on the “World of Champions,” with SuperSport offering unparalleled broadcasts across the continent on multiple platforms.

“This is unquestionably one of the jewels in our crown,” said Brandon Foot, SuperSport’s Head of Acquisitions and Legal. “Some of the greatest names in sport have played in the NBA, so it is only fitting that they come to the ‘World of Champions’ where the best sport is broadcast. Basketball has gained a strong foothold in Africa, so we are delighted to acquire rights to one of the biggest and best-run leagues in world sport. We will now proudly broadcast the most NBA action on the continent.”

Beginning with the 2013-14 season, SuperSport will exclusively televise up to three live regular season games per week, as well as NBA All-Star, The Playoffs and The Finals in multiple languages. Coverage also includes all preseason and regular season games being played in Europe.

“SuperSport is a leading sports destination in Africa both on television and online and they are an ideal partner as we look to bring more NBA content to our fans,” said Amadou Gallo Fall, NBA Vice President for Development, Africa. “Together with SuperSport we will be providing fans with more access to the NBA, our dynamic players, and storied franchises on multiple platforms as we further the growth of the game on the continent.”

Also as part of the partnership, NBA.com/Africa – one of the league’s 14 international online destinations – will launch on Supersport.com and feature news, localized content, blogs and extensive video highlights.  In addition, SuperSport’s “The Catch Up” video-on-demand service, which is available to Premium bouquet viewers, will also feature NBA programming.

Basketball fans will receive more exciting NBA content, including episodes of “The Association”, the NBA-produced documentary that gives fans and viewers inside access to some of the biggest teams in the NBA. The partnership will also include some of the greatest games in NBA history including 20 classic games per year and 20 of the greatest games from the previous season.

Johannesburg is currently playing host to the 11th edition of Basketball without Borders (BWB) Africa, a global basketball development and social responsibility program run in partnership with the NBA and the International Basketball Federation (FIBA). The NBA has been staging activities in Africa for over 20 years and opened an office in Johannesburg in 2010. Thirty African players have played in the NBA, with six featured on NBA rosters during the 2012-13 season.