The NBA has announced a five-year extension of its deal with Tencent, the league’s digital partner in China.
Tencent is the NBA’s largest digital partner outside the United States and has been connected with the league since 2009. The current deal, which now runs through the 2024-25 season, includes live NBA games, other league-related programming and interactive fan experiences.
“Tencent’s commitment to NBA basketball in China is unparalleled,” NBA commissioner Adam Silver said in a statement. “The enormous reach and popularity of Tencent’s platforms have been a driving force behind the growth of basketball in China, and we look forward to deepening our connection with NBA fans across the country through this expanded partnership.”
Tencent, a strategic partner of ESPN for the NBA and several other sports, had 490 million fans watch NBA programming on its platform last season, which is nearly triple the number from just four years ago.