New NBA YouTube Africa Will Show Live Games
March 20, 2019
The National Basketball Association and YouTube today announced the launch of the NBA’s first YouTube channel dedicated to fans in sub-Saharan Africa.
In addition to featuring two live games per week in primetime for the rest of the 2018-19 season, including the Playoffs, Conference Finals and The Finals, the NBA Africa YouTube channel will celebrate the impact of African players in the NBA.
It will also showcase the league’s long history of growing basketball at all levels across the continent and using the game as a platform to inspire and empower African youth.
The first two live game broadcasts on the new NBA Africa YouTube channel will take place this Sunday, March 24, and will feature the Charlotte Hornets hosting the Boston Celtics at 12:00 am (CAT) followed by the L.A. Clippers visiting the New York Knicks at 6:00 pm (CAT).
The channel will feature original and archived programming, including a collaboration with Africa-based YouTube creators on original content, a customized weekly magazine show and NBA documentaries featuring current and former African players and legends.
“The NBA Africa YouTube channel is yet another important milestone for the NBA in Africa and will allow more fans to access our games, live and on demand, across the continent,” said Amadou Gallo Fall, NBA Vice President and Managing Director for Africa,
“As we enter the home stretch of the NBA season and teams fight for playoff positioning, we look forward to bringing the excitement of the NBA to more fans in sub-Saharan Africa while celebrating the NBA’s rich history and bright future in Africa.”
“From inception, YouTube has been a hub for fans to catch up on moments and coverage from their favorite sports,” said Dayo Olopade, Manager of YouTube Partnerships in Africa. “We are delighted to be partnering with the NBA to bring the action and inspiration of basketball to our audience in Africa. We hope NBA fans on the continent enjoy watching the live games and commentaries on YouTube.”
The NBA was the first professional sports league to partner with YouTube and launch its own channel in 2005. Last year, YouTube TV became the first presenting partner of NBA Finals and WNBA Finals. To date, the NBA YouTube channel has generated more than 5.4 billion views.
The NBA has a long history in Africa and opened its African headquarters in Johannesburg, South Africa in 2010. Opening-night rosters for the 2018-19 NBA season featured 13 African-born players.
Last month, the NBA and FIBA announced their plan to launch the Basketball Africa League, a new professional league featuring 12 club teams from across Africa.
