NBA announces Viacom18 as its official broadcast partner in India; Here’s what we know about the deal

Basketball fans in India can now enjoy NBA action live as the league has announced a multi-year broadcast streaming partnership with the Viacom18 network.

The NBA has had no official broadcast partners in the country since the start of the 2020-21 season. Sony Pictures Networks India (SPN), which had the broadcast rights for the NBA (in India) for over a decade, failed to reach an agreement with the league over a renewal before the start of last season.

Viacom18, an entertainment network controlled by billionaire Mukesh Ambani, has partnered with several other international leagues over the last few months. These include tier-one European football leagues like La Liga (Spain), Serie A (Italy), and Ligue 1 (France), among others.

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Here's what we know about the NBA's deal with Viacom18

The NBA and Viacom18 have agreed to a three-year deal that will allow the network to stream games live in the country.

The NBA's weekly live games, All-Star games, play-in tournament, playoffs and finals will all be made available live, exclusively by Viacom18. They will also be creating an original NBA-themed program. Fans can catch highlights of all the games through the network.

Viacom18 will provide coverage on television via VH1 and MTV, while their OTT platforms, VOOT and JioTV, will stream games online.

Here's what Anil Jayaraj, CEO-Sports, Viacom18, had to say about this partnership (via NBA India):

"While sports are the biggest whitespace that we are entering, to build a truly inclusive and differentiated proposition, we need to look at diverse sporting events from across the globe," said Anil Jayaraj, CEO - Sports, Viacom18. "Basketball is a sport that is increasingly gaining attention and affinity in India. Through this partnership with the NBA, not only do we want to make basketball mainstream, but also build its lifestyle appeal among sports fans."

The NBA has taken active steps to develop its market in India over the last few months. In September, the league named famed Bollywood superstar Ranveer Singh as its brand ambassador for India. The actor will be working with the NBA to grow the league's profile in the country throughout its 75th season.

The NBA also collaborated with Lakme Fashion Week, India's premier fashion event, to celebrate the league's 75th anniversary. Designers from across the country got the opportunity to submit their designs for the "NBA 75" collection.