
Buzzer beater: Levelling the basketball stage in Europe with the NBA's push on personalised scheduling and enhanced apps to pull in viewers By Heather McLean
Thursday, February 6, 2025 - 14:53
Print This Story
Today NBA games are available to view in 47 European countries, in 38 languages, and through 36 broadcast partners and on NBA League Pass, its premium live game subscription service. Pictured, French player Victor Wembanyama at the NBA Paris Games 2025 [Credit: NBAE/Getty Images]
The NBA is pushing one of the most exciting sports globally out to viewers using personalised scheduling for European broadcasters as well as an enhanced app for fans, and importantly for the future, a revolutionised rights holders set up that will level the global stage.
When it comes to the fulfilling the dreams of basketball fans in Europe, today NBA games are available to view in 47 European countries, in 38 languages, and through 36 broadcast partners and on NBA League Pass, its premium live game subscription service.
Given the diverse European market, the way the NBA distributes that content in the region has been evolving over the last five to 10 years as well, in a bid to give fans a more significant and personalised viewing.
Historically the NBA delivered the same content to all markets over satellite, because everybody wanted the same game, states Bastien Lacheny, NBA vice president, global media distribution for Europe and the Middle East, the game of LeBron James or Steph Curry, but now in the last 10 years, I think we've seen so many different local superstars European superstars popping up and growing, that we have had to adapt .
That has meant a move to SRT and fibre distribution for a more efficient and cost effective delivery operation, and importantly, a personalised content service for broadcasters.
Speaking to SVG Europe, Lacheny elaborates: Games that are the ones that the actual local fans want and not just the best game of the night in a one size fits all strategy are important, because localisation is required. We're doing it increasingly.
We've put in place something that we call flexible scheduling that literally allows our partners to have the ability to pick different games, Lacheny continues. We always come to them at the beginning of the season with the schedule that we believe is the most relevant one, but on the basis of a local player or team performances, our broadcast partners have the ability to pick different games and to have ultimately the most relevant games delivered to the local fan.
And in addition to live game broadcasts, we now have 21 social media accounts in eight languages across five different platforms in Europe only. Our work and the work of the content team and the marketing teams and digital teams has become more exciting, because we have a lot of local players and local talent, but it's also a lot more granular and customised country by country, to make sure we deliver the most relevant content to every fan.
Last season was the NBA's most-viewed season ever across its social and digital platforms in Europe, surpassing 700 million video views in the region for the first time.
NBA players battle it out in the Spurs vs Pacers game in Paris on 25 January [Credit: NBAE/Getty Images]
Enhanced app
Lacheny comments on what is driving this exciting growth in fandom within Europe: There's the interest in basketball, in the NBA brand, and players, and the interest that is driven by local player in their home country and region. Fans in Europe want to watch their games and highlights on the devices and platforms they use most, and when it's most convenient for them.
He adds that the NBA has seen a transfer of the consumption of its video content from its website nba.com which when it launched in the late 1990s was cutting edge for the time, to the NBA app which was revamped in 2022 and where, he adds, we've also been adapting the experience and the user journey to what people are used to on social networks .
He goes on: So for instance, we've introduced a format that is very similar to the stories that you'll find on Instagram [on the app]. And that became a massive driver of the growth in terms of time spent and video views in just a few years, after we've relaunched a new version of the NBA app just a few years ago.
Global stage
Huge things are now afoot in the rights department for the NBA, where following an announcement six months ago, global rights holders are changing from regional and decentralised, to centralised and international. This is set to be a bonus for global fans of the sport.
Lacheny explains: We're basically coming from decades of an ecosystem where in most of the territories in Europe, we had one local partner that was owning our rights exclusively, to an ecosystem where rights will be shared between global and local partners.
The future is very exciting because it's going to be a big shift in the way we distribute our content, states Lacheny. Looking ahead to next season, we are delighted to have announced that we will continue our partnership with the Walt Disney Company, and begin new agreements with NBC Universal and Amazon Prime Video for the next 11 seasons, which means that we're going to have a lot of time to build up those partnerships together.
This deal stems from the US media rights domestic agreements, however, it is the most global deal ever made by the NBA. Explains Lacheny: Those three companies acquired content globally. This is also the first time that all the games are going to be available in the US on streaming platforms
And so you have NBC Universal that has acquired games in the Sky territories, in UK and Ireland, in Italy and in the German, Australia and Switzerland region. Amazon also acquired a package o
More from Sports Video Group
04/06/2026
Sony Electronics is introducing the SRG-AS10, a 4K 60p-compatible PTZ auto-frami...
04/06/2026
This recent grad from Spring, TX, led creative-video output for the Aggies' men's basketball team last season and has been producing video and creating ...
04/06/2026
For the first time at a women's golf major, every player in the field will r...
04/06/2026
Three Panasonic PT-RQ45 40,000-lumen 3-Chip DLP projectors made their first live...
04/06/2026
Bitmovin and Akamai have announced a collaboration with NRJ Group, a French mult...
04/06/2026
Telestream will exhibit at InfoComm 2026 (Booth N7952), demonstrating media work...
04/06/2026
Sony has announced the development of RIALTO 65, a 65mm format image sensor block for the VENICE 2 digital cinema camera, targeting release in the first half of...
04/06/2026
KOKUSAI DENKI Electric America will exhibit at InfoComm 2026 (Booth N8025, June ...
04/06/2026
Bell Media's TSN and RDS are the exclusive Canadian broadcasters of FIFA Wor...
04/06/2026
The Challenge: Receiving Heavy Media Files From Road Games Quickly and ReliablyT...
04/06/2026
MASV, a managed file transfer platform used in broadcast and live sports product...
04/06/2026
NESN has announced the appointment of Fahad Haider as Vice President of Operations and Engineering. Haider returns to NESN, where he previously served as Vice P...
04/06/2026
David J. Halberstam, who spent almost 50 years in sports as a broadcaster and an executive, died June 2 after a years-long battle with brain cancer.
Over his l...
04/06/2026
Although collegiate production programs are tasked with delivering high-quality ...
04/06/2026
California studio, two production trucks, global distribution system are combine...
03/06/2026
SES and Viva, Mexico's ultra low-cost airline, have launched multi-orbit satellite inflight connectivity on Viva's Airbus aircraft. A total of 60 A320s ...
03/06/2026
The College Football Playoff, ESPN, and TNT Sports have announced kick times and...
03/06/2026
RED Digital Cinema will exhibit at Cine Gear Expo 2026 (Booth 33, June 5-6, Universal Studios Lot), hosting three panels and hands-on product demonstrations.
P...
03/06/2026
Roku has announced the Soccer Zone, a dedicated hub for FIFA World Cup 2026 content available across the United States, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Colombia, Argent...
03/06/2026
Liverpool FC and Wasabi Technologies have announced a multi-year extension of their partnership, with Wasabi continuing as the club's official cloud storage...
03/06/2026
Grass Valley has announced that Australian News Channel (ANC), operator of Sky News Australia, has deployed Grass Valley AMPP as part of the relocation of its n...
03/06/2026
The Riedel Group has announced the appointment of Gudrun Scharler as CEO of Riedel Networks. She succeeds Michael Martens, who has led Riedel Networks since 201...
03/06/2026
Clear-Com has announced the deployment of its intercom solutions at Itaka Arena ...
03/06/2026
Scott Coker has announced six senior executive appointments for his new global MMA promotion, which launched earlier this year with $60 million in financing. Ad...
03/06/2026
Telemundo, the exclusive Spanish-language home of the FIFA World Cup 2026, has announced its digital and social media programming for the tournament, running Ju...
03/06/2026
The Bundesliga has announced the launch of Captain, an AI assistant built into t...
03/06/2026
Anthony James Partners (AJP) is serving as technology consultant for a moderniza...
03/06/2026
Audio-Technica has announced the recipients of its annual sales rep firm awards for the 2025-26 fiscal year. The awards were presented by Jim Schanz, Executive ...
03/06/2026
iodyne will exhibit at Cine Gear Expo 2026 alongside RED Digital Cinema and Adob...
03/06/2026
The broadcaster will deploy 39 cameras for game coverage, six cameras for studio...
03/06/2026
The 2026 FIFA World Cup is providing a great opportunity for not only Fox Sports...
03/06/2026
Sony Electronics is introducing the SRG-AS10, a 4K 60p compatible PTZ Auto Framing camera that uses Sony's proprietary AI to automatically recognize and tra...
03/06/2026
Game Creek Video's Flagship A, B, C, and D unit will wind up its first year ...
03/06/2026
According to Caretta Research, the sports-rights market may be hitting the brake...
02/06/2026
Tennis Channel has completed a transition from satellite-based distribution to a...
02/06/2026
Daktronics has announced the 2026 High School Video Summit, a two-day educational event for high school educators and student production teams, taking place Jun...
02/06/2026
Fandango will bring Telemundo's live Spanish-language coverage of the FIFA W...
02/06/2026
All Women's Sports Network (AWSN) has announced the live television schedule...
02/06/2026
Spalk, a cloud-based multilingual commentary and production platform, has announced three new partnerships: Ligue 1 (English and Portuguese highlights), Eurolea...
02/06/2026
NHL Network's 2026 Stanley Cup Final coverage began June 1 with NHL Tonight: Stanley Cup Final Media Day from the Carolina Hurricanes' Lenovo Center at ...
02/06/2026
Matrox Video has announced the Maevex MGX Series, a lineup of IPMX-ready video e...
02/06/2026
Marshall Electronics will exhibit at InfoComm 2026 (Booth C7521), showcasing a lineup of 4K and HD compact POV cameras for corporate, education, hospitality, wo...
02/06/2026
The Professional Audio Manufacturers Alliance (PAMA) and Shure Incorporated have...
02/06/2026
MultiDyne Video and Fiber Optic Systems will exhibit at InfoComm 2026 (Booth C50...
02/06/2026
Advanced Systems Group (ASG) has announced the promotion of Joe Marchitto to Western Regional CTO. In his new role, Marchitto will oversee system design across ...
02/06/2026
The NHL has announced that Brothers Osborne will headline a free outdoor concert...
02/06/2026
CP Communications has announced the appointment of its first two female executives in the company's 40-year history. Tabitha Coleman has been named Vice Pre...
02/06/2026
The Lighting Design Group (LDG) has announced the completion of Studio C at Yahoo's headquarters at 770 Broadway in Manhattan. The studio launched April 24 ...
02/06/2026
Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd. (Z) has announced a partnership with FIFA to broadcast FIFA World Cup 2026, FIFA World Cup 2030, FIFA Women's World Cup 2...
02/06/2026
Behind The Mic provides a roundup of recent news regarding on-air talent, including new deals, departures, and assignments compiled from press releases and repo...