Plainview, NY. IPTV service provider NeuLion and The American Basketball Association (ABA) announce a new partnership to deliver live games and consumer driven video on demand using NeuLion's iPTV service directly to consumers' television sets.In conjunction with Sports Video Group's League Technology Summit in New York City on December 11, this announcement follows NeuLion's successful launch of other IPTV networks for the National Hockey League, New York Knicks, National High School Coaches Association and others.
Leveraging NeuLion's iPTV platform to broadcast live and video on demand content, streamed directly to the TV, the ABA wll offer Chinese basketball games and other game footage through NeuLion's Chinese media network - KyLin TV.
Launched in 2005, KyLin TV now has over 25,000 subscribers in every U.S. State and Canadian providence. These viewers have direct access to the largest selection of Chinese television entertainment and most popular broadcasts from China and Hong Kong in North America. The ABA games will now be carried on the KyLinTV service.
NeuLion's iPTV service allows KyLinTV subscribers to watch television programming through NeuLion's set top box using an internet connection. Pay per view games will be available at $2.99 beginning December 2007. There will be at least two games per week featuring the Beijing Aoshen Olympian vs US/Canada teams.
The ABA has teams from the U.S., Canada, Mexico and Beijing. Previously based in Los Angeles, the Beijing Aoshen Olympian will be playing this season in Singapore. ABA teams from Canada and the U.S. will be playing games throughout the season there - and it is these games that will be featured on KyLinTV.
"Basketball is quickly becoming the number one sport worldwide and the Beijing Aoshen Olympian is gaining incredible fame. We are thrilled to reach the growing Chinese audience in North America and are eager to bring them this basketball coverage on KyLinTV," said Charles Key, the ABA's Vice President of media and marketing.
"NeuLion Sports Networks continue to grow. We are excited to have the ABA as a new basketball content provider and partner. Consumers prefer to have a choice in watching sports on either TV or the PC and that is a slam dunk for us, since our platform can deliver to either device," said Chris Wagner, executive vice president and co-founder of NeuLion.
"The ABA recently signed a 15-year agreement with the Beijing Aoshen Olympian to develop teams in Asia, including mainland China, Hong Kong and Macao," stated Joe Newman, ABA CEO. "We are very excited about this season as being the first step towards bringing the excitement of ABA basketball to the world and having a wonderful parner like NeuLion is very important to us."
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