– SONY SIX to air daily live NBA double-headers as part of NBA Mornings on SIX-
– New programming includes weekly primetime lifestyle basketball show and localized content –
MUMBAI, INDIA, Oct. 28 – The National Basketball Association (NBA) and Sony SIX today announced an expansion of their existing multiyear television partnership, which will see more NBA games and programming broadcast in India than ever before.
Sony SIX will televise upto 14 live NBA games each week during the 2013-14 season with all games airing as part of “NBA Mornings on SIX”, which will feature liveback-to-back NBA games every morning of the week.The season will tip-off on Oct. 30, with the NBA Champion Miami Heat playing the Chicago Bulls at 5:30 am IST, followed by the Los Angeles Clippers playing the Los Angeles Lakers at 8:00 am IST.
In total, fans will have access to over 300 live regular season games, as well as NBA All-Star, Playoffs, and NBA Finals. Sony SIX will promote the daily six hour programming block across its network of channels and media platforms. A new basketball lifestyle program showcasing the sport off the court and featuring localized Indian content will also be launched and will air weekly in primetime. New apps, games and contests will also help reach fans via digital and social media throughout the upcoming season.
“Sport is flourishing around the world with basketball leading the way due to its broad appeal and accessibility to viewers everywhere,” said Prasana Krishnan, Business Head, Sony SIX. “This enhanced offering will give the fans a chance to watch their favorite team and stars consistently throughout the season. We are confident that our approach will open up an enormous opportunity in the ‘Breakfast’ time space for capturing viewership.”
“Our partnership with Sony SIX has been vital to the growth of basketball in India, and this new, expanded programming will increase fan access to NBA basketball on multiple platforms,” said Yannick Colaco, Managing Director – India, NBA. “Thanks to the support of Sony SIX, each season we are seeing interest in our game grow, allowing more opportunities to engage our fans whether through media, events, or grassroots programs.”
The NBA Slam Dunk app on Facebook, which will launch within the first month of the season, will ask fans weekly questions and award points for correct answers, with the top point winner each month receiving NBA merchandise. The winner of the Most Valuable Fan, a trivia contest that will run across TV, digital, and social media, will be awarded a trip to the 2014 NBA All-Star and will be featured on a new basketball lifestyle show on Sony SIX.
In April, the NBA and MSM announced a partnership with Magic Bus, a non-profit organization that works with youth from vulnerable communities, to develop a comprehensive NBA Cares program in India. The program includes intensive weekly sessions featuring basketball activities and teaching life skills in the areas of education, gender equality, health, and fitness. Basketball has also been integrated into existing Magic Bus programs in 12 Indian communities with NBA coaches conducting basketball and fitness clinics for enrolled youth.
About the NBA
The NBA is a global sports and media business built around three professional sports leagues: the National Basketball Association, the Women’s National Basketball Association, and the NBA Development League. The league has established a major international presence with games and programming in 215 countries and territories in 47 languages and NBA merchandise for sale in more than 125,000 stores in 100 countries on 6 continents. NBA rosters currently feature 85 international players from 36 countries and territories. NBA Digital’s assets include NBA TV, which is available in more than 61 million U.S. homes, and NBA.com, which averages more than 42 million page views per day, more than half of which originate from outside of North America. The NBA is the No. 1 professional sports league on social media, with more than 455 million likes and followers globally across all league, team, and player platforms. Through NBA Cares, the league and its teams and players have donated more than $225 million to charity, completed more than 2.6 million hours of hands-on community service, and created more than 830 places where kids and families can live, learn, or play.
About Sony SIX
Sony SIX, India’s Premier Sports Entertainment Channel is owned and operated by MSM India. The company is well known to exclusively broadcast some of the world’s largest as well as renowned international sporting properties like The Pepsi IPL, UEFA EURO 2016, Qualifiers for UEFA EURO 2016, Qualifiers for 2014 & 2018 FIFA World Cup, Scottish Professional Football League, The NBA, TNA Wrestling and The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Since its inception, the channel has successfully managed to target the youth of India through a mix of sports and entertainment.