In a landmark deal for New Zealand's National Basketball League, season 2020 will see all 75 games broadcast by Sky Sport.
It will be the first time in the League’s four-decade history that every game has been made available to viewers across the nation and comes at a time when basketball participation is being played by record numbers.
Fans will be able to catch all the action on Sky Sport and through Sky’s streaming app Sky Sport Now. Games will also be available on Sky Sport Next.
On the back of Sal’s Authentic New York Pizza recently signing a four-year extension as Naming Rights Partner of New Zealand's elite-level men’s competition, the news that all games in 2020 will be broadcast on Sky Sport has been met with enormous excitement.
“This is a significant announcement for the Sal’s NBL, a move that helps take this fantastic league to a whole new level,” said General Manager, Justin Nelson.
“Behind the scenes we have been working on this for a while and I’m pleased to say Sky Sport has been with us every step of the way. The commitment by everyone at Sky Sport to help us take basketball to a legion of fans across New Zealand is simply second-to-none.”
The 2020 season is set to tip-off across Easter weekend next April with viewers able to enjoy games between Thursday and Sunday each round. Monday night basketball will also be on show with the Wellington Saints set to headline two games on the league’s new night.
“With this announcement our partnership with Sky Sport reaches new heights, it is the first time we will broadcast every game and that’s something all basketball supporters, and general sports fans, should be excited about,” said Nelson.
The league’s ongoing media partnership with Stuff will also continue with as many as 49 games available online at stuff.co.nz
“The Sal’s NBL is in a really unique place in that we have two fantastic sports-loving organisations in Sky Sport and Stuff working together to make sure New Zealand’s very best basketball is available to fans.
“This is a fan’s first league, so this sort of support just helps make our product all that much better,” Nelson beamed, adding “you can’t be what you can’t see, so most of all I’m really pleased that all the young boys and girls, our future Tall Blacks and Tall Ferns, will be watching their basketball heroes on Sky Sport.”
Sky Sport will also broadcast New Zealand’s top women’s league in 2020 with two games each week to be available for fans. Once again the nation’s best women will battle it out on either Sky Sport, Sky Sport Now and some games on Sky Sport Next.
“One of our key priorities over the coming few years is to ensure we are taking our national women’s league to new heights and our broadcast deal with Sky Sport will help us do that,” said Nelson.
“Across both leagues we will televise about a hundred games next season. That’s a significant step for basketball in New Zealand.”
For further comments, please contact NBL General Manager Justin Nelson on +64 27 202 0070
