RealNetworks Gets `Inside' NBA

RealNetworks Inc. is teaming up with the National Basketball Association to offer NBA content in its "RealOne SuperPass," as well as separate $9.95-per-month "NBA Inside Ticket" package of audio and video material.

NBA Inside Ticket subscribers will have access to the audio play-by-play of every NBA game; video highlights of every game, plus bloopers, dunks and player interviews; in-depth text analyses; fantasy-league breakdowns; electronic-mail updates; news; and "The Run," a video feature showing a sequence where a game was won or lost.

SuperPass subscribers will receive league and team press conferences, daily video highlights, "Top Dunk of the Night" and the audio league pass.

RNI plans to sell both packages in a bundled offering. "We are the subscription engine for the NBA in this case," said Steve Grimes, general manager of programming at RealOne.

RNI now has Major League Baseball and NBA subscription packages, in addition to its 850,000-subscriber flagship SuperPass service.

"The importance of this is it keeps Real in the exclusive content game, and that's one reason why sports is so valuable," said Merrill Brown, senior vice president of RealOne Services.