NBA plans India growth with Times Internet deal

NBA plans India growth with Times Internet deal

MUMBAI: The National Basketball Association (NBA) and Times Internet Limited (TIL), a subsidiary of Times Group, have entered into a digital partnership to launch a dedicated NBA section on the Times of India website.

The new dedicated NBA section on the Times of India website will reach more than 12 million users per month. The section will aim to provide fans with daily updates on the NBA news and scores, and will feature columns from Times Group journalists.
 

Also, daily video highlights, photo galleries and articles from NBA analysts will be offered, as well as features on the league and its players. Furthermore, journalists from the Times Group will travel to the 2011 NBA finals to cover the event.

The NBA becomes the second sports league after the Indian Premier League (IPL) to partner with the Times Group in India.

Times Internet Limited CEO Rishi Khiani said, "We are proud to be associated with one of the most recognised sporting leagues in the World. With the growing popularity of basketball globally, and more recently in India, we plan to leverage our audience to help popularise the sport further and drive newer audiences to the game."
 
 
NBA International president Heidi Ueberroth added, "The Times Group has unrivaled reach in India and they are an ideal partner to help showcase our game and engage more NBA fans throughout the country. We are in the midst of one of our most exciting playoffs in recent memory and the innovative, in-depth sports coverage provided by the Times Group allows us to bring fans in India closer to the game."

The NBA has marketing partnerships in India with adidas, Coca-Cola, EA SPORTS, HP, Mahindra, Nike, Reebok, and Spalding.