FIBA, Tencent Secure Digital-Media-Rights Partnership Through 2025

FIBA, the International Basketball Federation, announced a nine-year integrated partnership with Tencent, one of the world’s leading digital companies.

The multi-faceted agreement involves digital media rights as well as the hosting of the FIBA.com website in China. The extensive FIBA event coverage will highly benefit from the introduction of FIBA’s new competition system and include the FIBA Basketball World Cups 2019 and 2023 and their Qualifiers; the FIBA Asia Cups 2017, 2021, and 2025 and their Qualifiers; as well as the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cups, all other continental Cups (Men and Women) and Youth World Championships.

Patrick Baumann, FIBA Secretary General and International Olympic Committee (IOC) Member, says: “FIBA is extremely excited to enter into a long-term agreement with Tencent to further the promotion and development of basketball in China. Tencent is one of the biggest companies in the world in its sector just as basketball is one of the most popular sports. The partnership is a vital part of FIBA’s ongoing strategy and basketball fans in China will be able to see a feast of high-level basketball events and additional programming over the coming years.”

Caitlyn Chen, Corporate VP of Tencent, says: “Tencent has been in sports media for more than a decade, garnering experience in live broadcast, news reporting, programming production, social interactions as well as fostering a large user base. As part of the FIBA partnership, Tencent will also deliver rich content and premium game-watching as well as interactive experience through PC, mobile and OTT platforms. FIBA has world-class basketball events and the new competition calendar will give fans access to even more great games throughout the year. Tencent’s partnership with FIBA will create a win-win situation maximising the assets of media and IP and promoting the game of basketball in China and beyond.”

FIBA Media, the recently created strategic partnership between FIBA and the Perform Group, was responsible for the agreement and will now be working to secure additional free-to-air coverage to further enhance the visibility of basketball in China.