NBA to offer content across all Alibaba platforms in expanded deal
- For the first time, NBA China will create content for Alibaba users, including game highlights, classic games and new content
- Alibaba’s nearly 700 million consumers across all platforms will also be able to buy league gear more easily
The National Basketball Association will offer fans in China original programming and an easier way to buy league gear through e-commerce giant Alibaba Group Holding, the league announced on Wednesday.
For the first time, NBA China will create content for Alibaba users. Game highlights, classic games and the new content - along with league merchandise - will be accessible to Alibaba’s nearly 700 million consumers across all its platforms through a dedicated “NBA section,” the NBA said.
The move is part of a continuing expansion by US sports leagues in overseas markets.
The NBA in particular has seen success in China since it opened its first office outside of North America in 1992 in Hong Kong, with internet companies in the basketball-crazed nation competing for media content.
In 2015, the NBA struck a five-year deal making Tencent Holdings Ltd the only company in China to offer the NBA’s League Pass package, which allows subscribers to watch a full season’s worth of games live and on-demand.
In November, the NBA said the Beijing-based technology company ByteDance would also deliver some NBA content through several platforms including TikTok.