Betting operator Tabcorp has signed a partnership agreement with the National Basketball Association (NBA) under which the US league’s games would be broadcast by the Australian company. The latter is also given the authorisation to offer betting on the sport on the territory of Australia.
The deal comes after the gambling and entertainment group has unveiled a similar agreement with the National Football League (NFL). Now, the 24/7 TV channel of the NBA would be available in more than 4,400 bars, pubs and TAB betting outlets in the country, while individual games are set to be aired over the online applications of the brand. NBA fans will also be able to watch the US basketball games on ESPN via Foxtel, or they could use the paid online steaming options offered by the NBA.
We're excited to bring NBA TV to @tabcomau venues following a multi-year media partnership with the NBA. Click here to read more: https://t.co/4oHund8PzX pic.twitter.com/7tQgp23Vqk
— Tabcorp (@Tabcorp) October 22, 2019
Tabcorp also revealed that under the provisions of the newly-announced deal it is set to become an official, although not exclusive, betting partner of the NBA on the territory of Australia. This basically means that the AU$10-billion gambling company would be able to use the official logos of the NBA on its website. The two parties would also partner in sharing data regarding the betting activity that is found suspicious, as well as information about suspended match-fixing.
NBA Deal Comes After Recently-Announced NFL Agreement
Customers of the TAB betting brand were found to be betting more on games of the National Basketball Association than they do on any other sporting league, including the National Rugby League (NRL) and the Australian Football League (AFL).
As revealed by Tabcorp, the income generated by betting on NBA matches has increased by more than 50% over the past five years.
Adam Rytenskild, the managing director of betting and media at Tabcorp, the NBA was very popular with the company’s customers, which is why the company’s management is very proud with the newly-signed partnership agreement.
In September, Tabcorp signed a similar broadcast and betting agreement with the National Football League (NFL). The deal has marked the first time the American football league had inked such a betting agreement. Now, the Australian gambling and entertainment giant is trying to form tighter relationships with sports codes in order to get broadcasting rights.
We announced a new partnership with the #NFL yesterday to bring NFL programming and experiences to fans in Australia. Read more about the ground-breaking partnership here: https://t.co/6RitkznAKf pic.twitter.com/MOR1OdO0RY
— Tabcorp (@Tabcorp) September 19, 2019
As it revealed at the time, Tabcorp had signed a multi-year deal which has made it the exclusive official betting partner of the NFL on the territory of Australia. As part of the broadcast and betting deal, the Sky Channel of the gambling brand will air several hours of NFL RedZone programming and, of course, the NFL Network to local people across its clubs, pubs and TAB agencies. As an exclusive Official Wagering Partner of the NFL, every Monday during the season, Tabcorp’s Sky Channel will broadcast one NFL game.
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Olivia Cole
