South Africa's new professional basketball league, the Basketball National League, has agreed an exclusive five-year deal with pay-television broadcaster SuperSport.
The contract, running from 2013 to 2017, will allow BNL games to be broadcast live, primarily on the SuperSport Select television channel, but also across all platforms, including mobile and online, throughout sub-Saharan Africa.
SuperSport’s head of acquisitions and legal, Brandon Foot, said that the partnership was a natural development following last week’s broadcast deal with North American league the NBA.
Beginning with the 2013-14 season, the multi-year deal represents the first time NBA content will be available via SuperSport, which will broadcast games and other programming across 47 territories in sub-Saharan Africa.
Foot said: “There is no question that the sport has a captive market. Basketballers now have an avenue for their skills and we couldn’t be happier to be part of this renewal of the local game. We look forward to a strong association.”
Eleven franchises make up the BNL, which will be played on a north-south conference system starting on September 27.