October 9 witnessed the announcement of a new long-term strategic partnership between BesTV under Shanghai Media Group (SMG) and the NBA, which will bring more events and content to Chinese fans. However, ties between two parties can be traced back to the 1997-1998 Season.
This cooperation was jointly announced by Wang Jianjun, President of SMG, and Adam Silver, the NBA commissioner, at Shanghai’s Mercedez-Benz Arena. Also present were two-time NBA champion Kenny Smith and nine-time All-star Gary Payton. The announcement was followed by a game between Houston Rockets and New Orleans Pelicans broadcast by BesTV to fans in over 200 countries.
As the official multi-media partner of the NBA in China, BesTV will stream nearly 1300 events and shows via its various platforms. NBA content can also be accessed through Five Star Sports, SMG TV and Dragon TV. This marks a deepening cooperation between the two as NBA content will be available on various screens from SMG, ranging from traditional TV channels to new media, like IPTV, OTT, mobile APP and XBOX.
BesTV and SMG will broadcast all matches and content from the regular season and playoffs, including the All Star Weekend, Eastern and Western Conferences, Finals, Draft, original content and recaps.
As part of the deal, BesTV will also tap into its rich multi-media experience to promote events and content, as well as ground operations of the NBA.
Proofread by Sean O Diobhilin