The International Basketball Federation (Fiba) has signed a nine-year partnership with Chinese internet company Tencent.
The agreement will run through to 2025 and involves digital media rights as well as the hosting of the Fiba.com website in China. The Fiba event coverage will include the 2019 Basketball World Cup, which will be hosted by China, along with the 2023 tournament and the qualifying competitions for the events.
The rights portfolio also incorporates the Fiba Asia Cups in 2017, 2021 and 2025, as well as their qualifiers, the Women’s Basketball World Cups, all other continental cups for men and women and the Youth World Championships.
Patrick Baumann, Fiba secretary general, described the Tencent partnership as a “vital part” of the global governing body’s ongoing strategy.
Caitlyn Chen, corporate vice-president of Tencent, added: “As part of the Fiba partnership, Tencent will also deliver rich content and premium game-watching as well as interactive experience through PC, mobile and OTT platforms. Tencent’s partnership with Fiba will create a win-win situation maximising the assets of media and IP and promoting the game of basketball in China and beyond.”
Fiba Media, the recently-created strategic partnership between Fiba and media group Perform, was responsible for the agreement and will now work to secure additional free-to-air coverage in China.
Fiba in February signed a wide-ranging strategic partnership with Perform that is set to be worth a guaranteed sum of close to €500m ($566.5m). For the period of four Basketball World Cup cycles spanning 2017 to 2033, Perform will be Fiba’s worldwide partner for the distribution and sale of all media-related rights, with respect to men’s and women’s national team competitions.