Viasat slam dunks NBA deal

MTG’s Nordic pay TV broadcaster Viasat has signed a deal with US basketball association the NBA to bring matches to Russia, the CIS and Georgia.

Picture: NBAE/Getty Images

The Viasat Sport East channel will broadcast up to five regular season games each week along with major NBA events including the NBA All-Star, the complete Eastern and Western Conference Play-off series and the NBA Finals in June. The deal initially covers the 2012-2013 season

“In a region with such knowledgeable and passionate fans, our partnership with Viasat will provide broad coverage throughout the regular-season, culminating in The Finals,” said Dan Markham, NBA vice-president, media distribution and emerging markets.

Irina Gofman, MTG executive vice-president of Russian & CIS Broadcasting, said, “The new agreement between Viasat Sport and NBA follows our successful cooperation with the NBA during the 2012 Play-offs. We are delighted that Viasat Sport East subscribers will now be able to watch coverage of the NBA 2012-13 season as the NBA is the world’s premier basketball league with a large and loyal fan base across the region.”