NBA adds Globosat to Brazilian rights partners

Brazilian pay-television broadcaster Globosat has agreed a multi-year rights deal with North American basketball league the NBA.

Globosat’s contract with the NBA encompasses three matches per week from the regular season, playoffs and conference finals. The rights will be exploited via the SporTV pay-television channels.

SporTV will also provide live streaming of all its games, along with on demand coverage in the future. The agreement will begin with the Dallas Mavericks’ clash against the Toronto Raptors on February 24.

The NBA’s new contract with Globosat complements its existing Brazilian rights deals with ESPN, Space e Sports Plus and Sky.

Brazil is a key growth market for the NBA, with the league opening an office in Rio de Janeiro in 2012 and having staged two pre-season games in the country, most recently the Cleveland Cavaliers’ meeting with Miami Heat on October 11.

In December, the NBA signed a long-term partnership with the Liga Nacional de Basquete in a bid to drive the development of the sport in the country.