Cartoon Network, NBA Sign Partnership

Cartoon Network and the NBA have signed a multifaceted partnership to develop long- and short-form basketball-themed content across a wide variety of platforms, including online, mobile, VOD and on-air. Through this partnership and the network’s alignment with Turner Sports, this announcement continues a long-standing relationship the NBA has had with Turner Broadcasting for over 25 years.

“We’re thrilled to be teaming up with one of the world’s most preeminent sports brands,” says Stuart Snyder, president and COO of Turner Animation, Young Adults & Kids Media. “This partnership with the NBA is part of the ongoing sports strategy at Cartoon Network and is a perfect extension of our brand that will allow us to continue to create even more relevant and compelling content that speaks directly to our audience.”

“Cartoon Network represents the best in entertainment for kids and families, and new shows like My Dad’s a Pro demonstrate the kind of innovative programming we hope to produce in this new partnership,” adds NBA Deputy Commissioner and Chief Operating Officer Adam Silver.

“This collaboration is a further extension of the strong business relationship and long-term partnership we have developed with the NBA,” says David Levy, president of Turner Sports and Turner Broadcasting Sales. “The expansion of our partnership with the league speaks to the strength of our company. Whether it’s sports, kids’ entertainment or news programming, Turner delivers strong content on a multitude of platforms.”

To coincide with the NBA season tip-off in fall 2009, Cartoon Network is developing the short-form series, My Dad’s a Pro, the first of several programming initiatives to come out of the Cartoon Network/NBA partnership. The short-form series follows the children of NBA players, and explores the day to day thrills and challenges that go along with such an exciting lifestyle. The first of these episodes will premiere this fall. Also this fall, a sustained and robust basketball section will launch on CartoonNetwork.com. The customized branded environment will allow sports fans to share their passion for the game throughout the year with a mix of basketball-themed multimedia content.

Turner is in its 25th year as a media and broadcast partner with the NBA. TNT is the exclusive home of Thursday night NBA regular season doubleheaders. In addition, the network exclusively covers NBA All-Star and will air more than 40 playoff games this year, including exclusive coverage of the Eastern Conference Finals. In addition, Turner also manages the NBA Digital portfolio, which includes NBA TV and NBA.com.

Cartoon Network (CartoonNetwork.com), currently seen in more than 97 million U.S. homes and 166 countries around the world, is Turner Broadcasting System, Inc.’s ad-supported cable service now available in HD offering the best in original, acquired and classic animated entertainment for kids and families. Nightly from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. (ET, PT), Cartoon Network shares its channel space with Adult Swim, a late-night destination showcasing original and acquired animation for young adults 18-34.

The NBA, founded in 1946, is a global sports and entertainment brand that features 30 teams in the United States and Canada. During the 2008-09 season, NBA games will reach 215 countries and territories in 41 languages. The league’s worldwide reach will be reflected in the 77 international players from 32 countries and territories on NBA rosters. NBA merchandise is sold in more than 100,000 stores in 100 countries on six continents. NBA.com averages more than five million daily visits, with more than 50 percent of the site’s visitors come from outside of North America.