UK pay-television broadcaster Sky has announced the acquisition of exclusive rights to the National Basketball Association for the next four seasons, from 2018-19 to 2021-22.
After pay-television broadcaster BT Sport publicly stated it would not seek a renewal of its NBA rights, Sky was seen as the likeliest buyer in the new cycle. BT’s previous deal ran from 2015-16 to 2017-18.
Full-season coverage will be available across Sky’s channels with basic-tier channel Sky Sports Mix showing one game per game-week. The new deal covers both the UK and Ireland and will include rights to the WNBA when the 2019 season tips off in May.
BT and Sky have recently faced fresh competition in the market from Eleven Sports, with the OTT platform recently picking up rights to Italy’s Serie A, Spain’s LaLiga and the UFC.