The NBA has struck a long-term agreement with Perform Media in which the digital sports content company and Goal.com parent will manage official league websites in more than 15 international markets, including India, Japan, Canada and Spain. The deal builds significantly upon a prior relationship in which Perform had managed NBA online destinations in Germany and Australia. Financial terms were not disclosed, but the deal is for a minimum of six years with a series of options beyond that. Perform will gain digital inventory on the international NBA websites to sell against, relying in part on an internal sales team that also sells inventory for Goal.com. It also will help the league promote subscriptions to the NBA League Pass package. The NBA previously had operated its international websites through a series of locally-based arrangements, including the smaller pact with Perform. Some of those will remain in place. The league also is in the midst of a long-term relationship with Turner Sports for the management of its digital properties domestically. “This presents an opportunity to lean on the expertise of Perform to help scale this international business,” said NBA Senior VP/Global Media Distribution & Business Operations Matt Brabants. Perform will oversee both editorial and commercial operations for the international sites. The deal contemplates a potential expansion beyond its current base of 20 localized, international websites. “The ad sales component of this is certainly a key element of this. But we’re also really enthused about getting into the League Pass part of it and expanding the base for that product,” said Perform Media CEO Juan Delgado. “We’re looking forward to being an integral part of the growth we’re seeing for the NBA around the world.”
