Philippines-based pay-television broadcasters Basketball TV and NBA Premium TV will cease broadcasting operations from October 1, it has been announced today (Wednesday).
Basketball TV posted a brief statement from parent company Solar Entertainment Company on its Twitter account earlier today to confirm the news.
In follow-up tweet, Basketball TV said that Solar would be shutting down the channels following the expiration of a contract with the NBA on September 30. It added that it is “still awaiting an announcement” from the NBA on where viewers will be able to watch the North American league during the 2019-20 season.
Basketball TV and NBA Premium TV have been operating for 13 years and nine years, respectively. NBA Premium TV is a joint venture between Solar and NBA TV.
The NBA has been a partner of Solar since 2001 and the company has recently shared broadcast rights in the Philippines with fellow media company ABS-CBN.
Filipino sports news website Spin, citing sources familiar with the situation, reported that ABS-CBN and commercial broadcaster TV5 are “actively pursuing” NBA rights for the upcoming season and beyond.