NBA And The Sports Channel Announce Multi-Year Partnership Expansion In Israel
July 29, 2020
Ahead of the 2019-20 NBA season restart tipping off tomorrow night, July 30, the NBA and The Sports Channel today announced a five year broadcast and multiplatform partnership expansion that will see The Sports Channel continue as the NBA’s official and exclusive broadcast partner and online destination in Israel. The expanded partnership marks the NBA’s most extensive partnership ever in Israel, spanning three decades of collaboration between the two organizations.
Beginning tomorrow night, fans in Israel will be able to watch 54 live “seeding games” exclusively on The Sports Channel, including 17 games starting from 19:30 local time, the most-ever primetime games in Israel in a two-week period. Fans will experience a whole new game with a more connected and immersive experience for fans, including the use of more than 30 cameras – many in robotic form – that will be repositioned closer to the court and showcase never-before-seen camera angles in places that are otherwise not accessible with fans in the arena. Microphones around the court will capture enhanced sounds from the floor, including sneaker squeaks and ball bounces. DJs and announcers will be in-venue to help replicate the sounds and experiences teams are accustomed to in-arena.
Fans in Israel will also be able to digitally cheer for their team through the NBA App, NBA.com and on Twitter using team hashtags throughout the game. Virtual cheering will be reflected on the video boards in-venue with graphics and animations that capture the level of fan engagement around the world.
The first round of the 2020 NBA Playoffs, which tip off Aug. 17 ET/Aug. 18 Israeli Time, will feature additional primetime games on The Sports Channel. Beginning next season, The Sports Channel will broadcast more than 150 live games each season, the weekly customized show “NBA Magazine,” and a range of NBA TV programming.
“As we build on our long-standing partnership, we are thrilled that The Sports Channel will continue to be the home of the NBA for fans in Israel,” said NBA SVP, Global Media Distribution and Business Operations, Matt Brabants. “We look forward to working with The Sports Channel to bring live NBA basketball to our fans in Israel for years to come.”
“We are pleased and proud to prolong our exclusive and strong partnership with the NBA which will offer more live NBA content for the sports fans in Israel,” said The Sports Channel CEO, Tomer Tourgeman.
