International OTT streaming platform Megogo has acquired broadcast rights in Russia to the National Basketball Association in a deal running to 2023.
The new deal was due to start in the 2020-21 season, but the league and broadcaster have negotiated for the broadcaster to show the remaining games from this season, if it resumes, following the Covid-19 pandemic.
From the 2020-21 season onwards, Megogo’s rights will be exclusive.
Pay-television broadcaster Viasat Russia is also set to broadcast the remaining games from this season on resumption. Viasat, which is 80-per-cent owned by Russia’s National Media Group, has held NBA rights in Russia since the 2012-13 season.
The NBA is currently modelling a revised schedule to end the 2019-20 season that would involve a resumption on July 31.
Megogo is active in Russia, Ukraine and the surrounding CIS region. Most of its sports rights acquisitions, which has been focussed on European football, have so far been in Ukraine.
As well as NBA rights, the OTT platform has today announced that it has secured a deal with boxing promotion Top Rank to broadcast its fights live and on-demand in Ukraine for the rest of the year.
It will create a new channel called Megogo Ring to exploit the rights.