Viasat nets NBA deal

MTG’s Nordic pay TV broadcaster Viasat has signed a deal with US basketball association the NBA to bring matches to Russia, the CIS and Georgia.

The Viasat Sport East channel will broadcast up to five regular season games each week along with major NBA events including the NBA All-Star, the complete Eastern and Western Conference Play-off series and the NBA Finals in June. The deal initially covers the 2012-2013 season.

“In a region with such knowledgeable and passionate fans, our partnership with Viasat will provide broad coverage throughout the regular-season, culminating in the finals,” said Dan Markham, NBA vice-president, media distribution and emerging markets.

Irina Gofman, MTG executive vice-president of Russian & CIS Broadcasting, said, “The new agreement between Viasat Sport and NBA follows our successful cooperation with the NBA during the 2012 Play-offs. We are delighted that Viasat Sport East subscribers will now be able to watch coverage of the NBA 2012-13 season as the NBA is the world’s premier basketball league with a large and loyal fan base across the region.”