The NBA’s international fans will be able to watch highlights in near real-time as part of changes to the league’s subscription service being rolled out for the new season, officials said yesterday.
The new feature, known as NBA Rapid Replay, will be available through various packages tailored to meet the demands of fans throughout the globe, building on the success of highlight clips previously shown on Twitter.
“It’s one thing to tell our fans that a game is getting close going into the fourth quarter, or that Steph Curry hit a half-court shot at the end of the third tying it up, but it’s another thing for us to use pretty near live video in order to show fans what is happening,” NBA senior vice president of digital media Melissa Brenner said.
Brenner said the new feature would allow fans to view highlights in one feed instead of receiving it through disparate social media platforms.
“You can follow not only the game you are watching, but everything going on around the league,” Brenner said.
The service will be available through the NBA League Pass International, which makes games available to fans around the globe.
A new monthly service, NBA Game Choice, allows fans to watch any two live games per week for about US$10 per month.
The league’s willingness to tailor subscription packages is a reflection of the reach of the NBA across the globe, as well as the league’s cosmopolitan makeup.
“More than 100 NBA players are from outside the United States,” Brenner said. “This product allows us to target their home countries.”
The full NBA League Pass International will also feature a range of services, including on-demand replays of full-length or condensed games as well as video archives offering access to classic games, interviews and documentaries.
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