The NBA is tipping off its new season with fresh media deals, and the league has a game plan to help fans find their favorite teams.
Ahead of the first year of new media partnerships with ABC/ESPN, NBC/Peacock, and Amazon’s Prime Video, the NBA has announced a new “Tap to Watch” digital initiative, connecting fans to the appropriate platform to watch a game with the click of a button.
“We’ve continuously been innovating on the NBA app for the last few years, and given the move to streaming this season, saw an opportunity to really bring the information to fans and let fans know where to watch,” Sara Zuckert, svp and head of the NBA app, told ADWEEK. “This is focused on giving them the opportunity to find NBA games more easily than ever before.”
Here’s how it works: Game and schedule pages on NBA.com, the NBA app, and team sites will show viewing options based on user information, including location. After fans tap the “watch” button, they’ll be taken directly to the relevant local or national platforms to watch the game, such as Peacock for NBC or Prime Video for Amazon games.
Viewers will also see “watch” call-to-action links across digital and social platforms, including Meta, X, Snap, Dapper Labs, and more.
“Wherever a fan is watching or engaging with NBA content, whether that’s on social media, within the NBA app, or on our partner platforms, they’ll see these links, and the link will take them directly to the relevant streaming platform, wherever that game is,” Zuckert said.
If a user is subscribed to the platform, they can jump into the game. If not, they’ll have the chance to sign up.
“We recognize that this is a new landscape for sports fans, and so we’re focused on making sure that all of our content tells fans how to consume and makes it as easy as possible,” Zuckert said.
Amazon Ads shares several presenting sponsors for NBA on Prime.
Amid the emergence of new streaming platforms and shifting sports media deals, fragmentation has been an ongoing issue for both publishers and viewers. And solving that problem has become a priority for the NBA.
Beyond “Tap to Watch,” the league is focusing on helping drive fans to games through other touchpoints as well, including its reimagined NBA app and NBA TV channel, which are in the league’s control following the NBA’s move away from its previous deal with Warner Bros. Discovery.
For instance, the NBA’s new flagship show, The Association, which features hosts and talent such as MJ Acosta-Ruiz, David Fizdale, Rudy Gay, Chris Haynes, and John Wall, will give fans tune-in information, letting them know where and how to watch.
Zuckert says the initiative was a “work in progress” throughout the offseason, and the experience will evolve moving forward, with the NBA working with additional partners and platforms to expand its reach.
“This is a fan-focused experience,” Zuckert said. “We want to make sure that fans can find the games as easily as possible and tune in to as many games as they can. We know that the live game is the most important part of what we do, of course, and we want to make sure that fans can see it.”
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