Tencent and NBA renew China deal

Bruce Ely / Trail Blazers

The National Basketball Association and Chinese giant Tencent have announced a five-year expansion of their existing partnership.

The deal will see Tencent provide extensive NBA coverage on its platforms through the 2024-25 NBA season, including live NBA games, NBA programming and interactive fan experiences.

Tencent is currently the NBA’s largest partner outside the US, and has been partnered with the league since 2009. It started streaming full matches in 2015, with 490 million fans watching NBA programming on Tencent’s platforms during the most recent season. 

The expanded partnership will see live NBA games, video on-demand (VOD) and short video content will be available for fans through Tencent’s digital and social media platforms including QQ.com, Tencent Sports, Tencent News, Tencent Video, QQ, Weixin and Weshi. 

The pair have also announced they will collaborate to create ‘mini programmes’ for mobile devices.

NBA commissioner Adam Silver said: “Tencent’s commitment to NBA basketball in China is unparalleled.

“The enormous reach and popularity of Tencent’s platforms have been a driving force behind the growth of basketball in China, and we look forward to deepening our connection with NBA fans across the country through this expanded partnership.”

Tencent president Martin Lau added: “We believe that the enhanced partnership between the NBA and Tencent will take our phenomenal success to new heights. Empowered by our technology capabilities, interactive platforms and content expertise, we will work closely with the NBA to further engage fans in China with sports excitement and technology innovations to elevate the passion for basketball, and to promote a healthy and active lifestyle.”