Company News: Page (1) of 1 - 01/23/06

email article

print page

The National Basketball Association announced today the launch of NBA LEAGUE PASS Broadband, a new added feature providing all NBA LEAGUE PASS subscribers with access to live video webcasts of up to 40 NBA regular season games a week on NBA.com. The service marks the first time fans will have access to a full slate of live NBA games online.

The launch of NBA LEAGUE PASS Broadband coincides with the start of the NBA LEAGUE PASS Half-Season package, now offering the product for $109 for the remainder of the regular season. Pre-existing NBA LEAGUE PASS subscribers will now receive access to the live webcasts on NBA.com at no additional cost and new subscribers will receive the webcasts as an added value to their Half-Season subscription.

NBA LEAGUE PASS Broadband will be an extension of NBA LEAGUE PASS, the league's regular season digital cable and satellite television package providing subscribers with live NBA games outside their local viewing area (local blackouts applying). Fans will be able to access NBA LEAGUE PASS Broadband through NBA.com only if they are a subscriber to the NBA LEAGUE PASS service.

The regular season live webcasts through NBA LEAGUE PASS Broadband will be the first on NBA.com since the NBA became the first major professional sports league to webcast a live game in streaming video on April 13, 2001 when the Dallas Mavericks hosted the Sacramento Kings. The groundbreaking webcast was available in English, Spanish and Mandarin and was accessed more than 120,000 times by fans in 87 countries. The WNBA has featured a package of live game webcasts on WNBA.com in each of the last three seasons.

The new NBA LEAGUE PASS Broadband service expands the NBA's online game offerings. Google recently teamed with the NBA to launch the Google Video Store marking the first time NBA fans were able to purchase full 2005-06 NBA contests online 24 hours after the conclusion of games.

NBA LEAGUE PASS, launched in 1994 and currently featuring up to 40 NBA regular season games a week, is the ultimate viewing experience for basketball fans who want to watch their favorite teams, players and match-ups from outside their local markets. Games included in NBA LEAGUE PASS are in addition to those available on ABC, TNT, NBA TV, ESPN, ESPN2 and local networks (such as a regional sports network and/or over-the-air station).

NBA LEAGUE PASS is available on DIRECT TV, DISH Network and most digital cable platforms.

About the NBA

The NBA, founded in 1946, features 30 teams in the United States and Canada. The league distributes more than 800 NBA games and 44,000 hours of programming to 215 countries and territories in 43 languages. The NBA has long been a leader in unveiling groundbreaking features that utilize the latest technologies enhancing the overall NBA game experience for fans. The NBA was the first major professional sports league to feature a live Webcast of a game in streaming video (April 2001 on NBA.com), launch a 24-hour television channel (NBA TV in November 1999), feature live games in High Definition on its channel (February 2003), unveil language-specific international destinations on the Internet (NBA.com/japan in June 1999), and provide a wireless All-Star Ballot for fans (November 2003).

Page: 1