LONDON – The National Basketball Association (NBA) and Sport 24, the first and only 24/7 live sports channel for the international airline and cruise line industries, today announced a multiyear extension of their existing agreement that will see Sport 24 broadcast more than 125 live NBA games each season to passengers on select airline carriers and cruise lines.

As part of the renewal, the IMG-owned and operated channel will air five live NBA games each week throughout the league’s regular season and marquee events, including the Emirates NBA Cup (previously named the NBA In-Season Tournament), NBA All-Star, the NBA Play-In Tournament, the NBA Playoffs, and the Finals.

The 2024-25 NBA regular season tips off on Tuesday, Oct. 22 when the New York Knicks visit the Boston Celtics at 7:30 p.m. ET, followed by the Minnesota Timberwolves visiting the Los Angeles Lakers at 10:00 p.m. ET.

“The NBA is one of the most entertaining and competitive sports leagues in the world,” said Richard Wise, SVP, Content and Channels for IMG’s media business.  “Through our coverage, we’re excited to be bringing passengers regular live NBA action, including the thrilling new format, the Emirates NBA Cup.  This is another example of our commitment to North American sports and to better serve our airline and cruise ship partners around the world.”

“We are excited to continue our collaboration with IMG and Sport 24 as part of our commitment to making NBA games and programming accessible to fans wherever they are,” said NBA Europe and Middle East Senior Director, Global Media Distribution, Adam Cox.  “Through this extension, fans will be able to follow the excitement of the NBA as they travel the skies and seas.”

Sport 24 and Sport 24 Extra are available on more than 665 aircraft on 11 airlines, including Emirates, the NBA’s global airline partner, and more than 125 cruise ships on over 15 global cruise lines.  Launched in 2012, both Sport 24 and Sport 24 Extra are produced from IMG’s production HQ at Stockley Park in the UK.  Sport 24 shows live coverage of major sporting events and tournaments across American football (in-flight only), football, golf, hockey, and tennis.  The NBA’s collaboration with Sport 24 began in 2015.

About the NBA
The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a global sports and media organization with the mission to inspire and connect people everywhere through the power of basketball.  Built around five professional sports leagues:  the NBA, WNBA, NBA G League, NBA 2K League and Basketball Africa League, the NBA has established a major international presence with games and programming available in 214 countries and territories in 60 languages, and merchandise for sale in more than 200 countries and territories on all seven continents.  NBA rosters at the start of the 2023-24 season featured a record 125 international players from 40 countries and territories.  NBA Digital’s assets include NBA TV, NBA.com, the NBA App and NBA League Pass.  The NBA has created one of the largest social media communities in the world, with more than 2.3 billion likes and followers globally across all leagues, team and player platforms.  NBA Cares, the NBA’s global social responsibility platform, partners with renowned community-based organizations around the world to address important social issues in the areas of education, inclusion, youth and family development, and health and wellness.

About IMG
IMG is a global sports, events, and representation company. It is a leader in rights management, multi-channel content production and distribution, consultancy, and fan engagement; owns, produces and commercially represents hundreds of live events and experiences; and manages licensing programs for the world’s best-known brands and trademarks. IMG is a subsidiary of Endeavor, a global sports and entertainment company.