Spark strengthens portfolio with NBA deal

Spark has acquired rights in New Zealand for the NBA, with coverage of the North American basketball league set to be made available on the telco’s Spark Sport app.

Spark Sport will offer coverage of six or seven NBA games per week – with some available live and others on a delayed basis – as well as highlights and documentaries.

The length of the deal was not revealed and a launch date for the app has not been confirmed. Spark’s head of sport, Jeff Latch, said that the service would be active before the end of the 2018-19 NBA season.

The regular-season campaign will finish on April 10, before the playoffs run from mid-April until the finals in June.

Spark has already secured coverage of the World Rally Championship and programming from Liverpool TV, the in-house channel operated by the English Premier League club.