In an all-time first for Australian major sport the National Basketball League (NBL) will be broadcast into homes and mobile devices across the United States in the league’s recent partnership with Facebook Watch.
52 NBL games will be streamed via the platform and the NBL Facebook page in the agreement, one which also includes an additional 23 regular season games (one per round) that will be shown in Australia and New Zealand.
The unique partnership will then continue through the post-season where finals games and other highlights will be shown via Facebook watch, providing the opportunity for any Australian to watch the all games of the NBL Grand Final live and free, something which has been difficult even here in Australia during the 40 years of the league’s existence.
Nine walked away from a three-year deal it had signed with the NBL just 12 months in which had an agreed revenue sharing model. The network saying that the sport would be better served by another broadcaster which resulted in a deal with SBS for the 2019-20 season.
SBS will broadcast the entire NBL season this year, 67 games to be shown on SBS Viceland while all 126 games will be accessible on the SBS On Demand app. The new model is an 86% increase in free-to-air coverage for the sport.
ESPN also has rights for the NBL and will televise 59 prime-time games. The subscription TV channel has made a huge play in the basketball space and will also broadcast games from the NBA, WNBA and College Basketball as well.
“This partnership will ensure huge exposure for the NBL in the biggest basketball market in the world” NBL commissioner Jeremy Loeliger said.
“It also reinforces our status as the best basketball league in the world outside of the NBA during what is an incredibly exciting time for the sport in Australia and New Zealand.”
Karren Rogers of Facebook Australia sports partnerships said the partnership will give US fans an avenue to engage with the NBL, as well as opening up new viewing options for local fans.
A record 13 Australians played in the NBA last season and 113 NBA players have played in the NBL since its inception in 1979.
This season nine Australians Patty Mills, Ben Simmons, Jonah Bolden, Aron Baynes, Joe Ingles, Ryan Broekhoff, Thon Maker, Isaac Humphries, Deng Adel are are already on NBA rosters.
The first Facebook Watch broadcast in Australia and New Zealand will be the opening game of the season on October 3, when Melbourne United and South East Melbourne Phoenix face off in the Throwdown.