NBA mobile payment partnership
April 22, 2021
The National Basketball Association (NBA) has partnered with mobile payment and marketing specialist PM Connect on an international deal for its premium live game subscription service, NBA League Pass. The multiyear partnership will allow fans to subscribe to NBA League Pass through their mobile phone and without the need of a credit card.
Beginning next season, fans in Belgium, France, Germany, Greece, South Africa, Spain and the UK will be able to add an NBA League Pass subscription to their mobile phone bill via direct carrier billing (DCB).
The partnership will expand the reach of NBA League Pass to new fans in Europe and Africa, with PM Connect providing connections to over 300 million consumers across its network of over 20 mobile network operators (MNOs) in seven countries.
NBA League Pass provides the most comprehensive live and on-demand access to an entire season of NBA games in high-definition with live stats, alternative audio and multiple viewing options. Subscribers will have access to League Pass’s Next-Generation game viewing enhancements, including new camera angles, multiple in-language streams, celebrity influencer commentary, in-depth analytics and statistical graphics, and social media integration.
PM Connect’s technology caters specifically to fans on mobile – where they can pay without leaving the mobile environment, in a seamless complement to the NBA’s existing offerings. The company will also use targeted mobile marketing to convert new and existing NBA fans into paying subscribers via DCB.
“NBA League Pass is all about giving our fans the best possible viewing experience, anytime, anyplace,” stated Bastien Lacheny, Associate Vice President, Media Distribution for NBA EME. “As more basketball fans enjoy content streamed directly to their mobile devices, we are keen to meet their needs and provide them with a mobile payment option best suited to their viewing habits. By adding direct carrier billing to the suite of subscription payment types on offer, fans will be able to enjoy an enhanced transactional experience.”
“PM Connect’s mobile-first approach will be a key piece in the puzzle to provide payment options for all NBA League Pass subscribers,” added Christopher Purdie, Chief Commercial Officer at PM Connect. “Our partnership will help connect NBA League Pass to audiences in some of its biggest territories outside of the US, demonstrating the growth opportunity mobile presents for forward-thinking brands.”
“With the OTT market skyrocketing globally, it’s paramount that fans have every payment option available to them. By leveraging our MNO connections, we can help the NBA make its content more accessible to fans in multiple countries. We will also identify and reach the content-hungry fans who may not have enjoyed NBA League Pass yet, creating new audience segments for the brand,” he concluded.
The partnership builds both on PM Connect’s continued growth, with the firm now reaching 1 billion consumers in over 40 territories, and its long-standing focus on bringing major sports brands into the mobile ecosystem – connecting them to new audiences.