The National Basketball Association announced Sunday an expansion of its existing partnership with China's Tencent TCEHY to include live games, video on-demand and short video content.
What Happened
The NBA's partnership with Tencent dates back to 2009 and Sunday's extension announcement will last through the 2024-2025 NBA season. As part of the expanded agreement, NBA games will be available to fans across Tencent's digital and social media platforms, including QQ.com, Tencent Sports and Tencent News, among others.
The agreement also calls for Tencent to cooperate with NBA to expand the fanbase in China through new and customized interactive services.
Twenty-one million fans watched the Toronto Raptors take home its first ever championship in the 2019 NBA Finals. A total of 490 million fans in China watched some form of NBA programming on Tencent's platform which represents a surge of nearly three times from the 2014-25 season.
Why It's Important
The NBA's partnership with Tencent was a "driving force" behind the growth of basketball in the populous Chinese market, NBA Commission Adam Silver said in the press release. Tencent President Martin Lau added the expanded partnership should "take our phenomenal success to new heights.
Lau also said Tencent will work closely with the NBA to continue engaging fans in the country with the excitement basketball games offer. Coupled with technological innovation Tencent hopes to "elevate the passion for basketball."
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