DirecTV Signs NBA TV Deal

By R. Thomas Umstead
published

DirecTV Inc. will carry the National Basketball Association's stand-alone NBA
TV service beginning early next year as part of a six-year distribution deal,
according to the league.

Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

The league said it was seeking a 25-cent-per-month licensing fee for the
service, which will carry live regular-season and post-season NBA and Women's NBA
games.

NBA TV will also air a package of National Basketball Development League
games, the pro-hoops circuit's minor league.

The deal follows a similar agreement the league inked with EchoStar
Communications Corp.

The league has yet to reach a cable deal for NBA TV, but it hopes to announce
several cable affiliation agreements in the near future.

"We are proud that NBA TV will be available to at least 18 million homes
across the nation when the network begins airing live games during the season,"
NBA Television president Ed Desser said in a prepared statement.

R. Thomas Umstead
R. Thomas Umstead

R. Thomas Umstead serves as senior content producer, programming for Multichannel News, Broadcasting + Cable and Next TV. During his more than 30-year career as a print and online journalist, Umstead has written articles on a variety of subjects ranging from TV technology, marketing and sports production to content distribution and development. He has provided expert commentary on television issues and trends for such TV, print, radio and streaming outlets as Fox News, CNBC, the Today show, USA Today, The New York Times and National Public Radio. Umstead has also filmed, produced and edited more than 100 original video interviews, profiles and news reports featuring key cable television executives as well as entertainers and celebrity personalities.