Australian-born NBA star Ben Simmons is among 108 active international players in the NBA. The new digital deal between the NBA and Perform reflects the strong international presence. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
Basketball is increasingly an international sport, with leagues in Europe and Asia producing talented players who make an impact on NBA courts. To maximize that international presence in the digital realm, the league hired Perform, a digital media and content management company.
The multiyear partnership will bring Perform’s content expertise to bear on the NBA’s footprint in 15 countries, Perform announced Thursday. Some of those markets include Spain, Argentina, Australia, Canada, Japan, and Mexico. Perform will use hyper-local content to gain an audience, and also provide sponsored content and promote NBA League Pass on OTT service DAZN.
Perform is taking over editorial responsibilities for 75 percent of the league’s international digital presence, which includes 20 countries. NBA teams this season have 108 active players from 42 different nations.
SportTechie Takeaway
Perhaps the most significant news to come out of this partnership is that Perform will use DAZN as a promotional platform for NBA League Pass. DAZN is emerging as a powerful over-the-top streaming platform for sports, with the MLB and MLS also among the professional sports leagues that use it to expand their content offerings. (The MLS partnership also included the Pac-12, a power conference in collegiate sports.)
It’s not yet clear if League Pass will be available through DAZN or simply promoted via sponsored content or another avenue, but it looks to further increase the NBA’s grip on international basketball, as fans of the sport abroad have greater access to their favorite players. Take, for example, the inclusion of the Australian market in the partnership, as fans of the 76ers’ and Australian-born Ben Simmons will be able to pay more attention to the ascendant star’s NBA career.
