NBA Digital To Go All Out For The NBA Finals

As the NBA Finals begin on Tuesday, NBA Digital Properties of NBA.com, NBA TV and NBA Mobile are stepping up to provide their fans an all-access pass to the games. There will be all types of features, programming and even short films dedicated to the NBA Finals which can be accessed either via your TV, computer or mobile. The details are below.

NBA Digital to Provide Unrivaled Coverage of The Finals 2011 on NBA TV, NBA.com, and NBA Mobile

Kevin McHale, Chris Webber, Charles Barkley Kenny Smith, and Rick Kamla will be Onsite Leading NBA TV’s Comprehensive Coverage Featuring 40 Hours of Live Programming
NBA.com to offer “Mini-Movies” an All-Access look at The Finals

NBA Digital will deliver extensive content of The Finals 2011 across its portfolio of television, broadband and mobile platforms, featuring more than 40 hours of live coverage on NBA TV, the launch of NBA GameTime on Microsoft Windows Phone, and five-minute “Mini-Movies,” offering a comprehensive and all-access look after each game on NBA.com.

Host Rick Kamla will anchor NBA TV’s 12th season covering The Finals.  He will be onsite with TNT’s studio analysts Charles Barkley and Kenny Smith for pre- and postgame coverage of Games 1 and 2.  Kevin McHale and Chris Webber will join him for pre- and postgame coverage of Games 3, 4, 5*, 6* and 7* (*if necessary).  Kamla and analysts Steve Smith, Brent Barry and Dennis Scott will handle press conferences and off-day news coverage onsite, while host Marc Fein will hold court from the network’s Atlanta studio. TNT’s David Aldridge will be reporting throughout the series. In addition, NBA TV, now in more than 55 million homes, will provide original programming including Sounds of The Finals.

NBA Game Time, the league’s signature digital application, will now be available on Windows Phone during The Finals. The free customized NBA application, available for download through the Windows Phone Marketplace, will provide fans with access to live scores, complete player statistics, standings, and video highlights from every game.

Along with Windows Phone, NBA Game Time is available on Apple TV, Google TV, LG NetCast™, Panasonic VIERA Connect™, Roku, Samsung Apps, and VIZIO Internet Apps™ (VIA), making it one of the most far-reaching sports applications.

“From one of the most talked about offseasons  in NBA history straight through the Playoffs, this season has captured the fans’ attention on television, online and on mobile,” said Albert “Scooter” Vertino, vice president of content, NBA Digital. “NBA Digital prides itself on being the home for all things NBA and we plan to step up our game even more in The Finals with constant updates, breaking news and analysis on NBA TV, NBA.com, NBA Mobile, and our social outlets.”

From pregame to postgame, NBA TV and NBA.com’s coverage of The Finals also will include:

NBA TV

  • Pregame Show: Live at the Finals: The network’s 60-minute pregame show will air live onsite throughout The Finals. The show will feature highlights, analysis, player interviews and live press conferences.
  • NBA GameTime: Finals Edition: After each game, NBA TV will air its postgame show featuring game recaps, look-aheads and analysis.
  • Playoff Playbacks: The network will produce Playoff Playbacks, which will be one- and two-hour versions of every playoff game for re-air on NBA TV.
  • Sounds of The Finals: The original series will follow the storylines throughout The Finals. Airing Thursday, June 9, at 7:00 p.m. (ET) and Saturday, June 18 at 7:00 p.m. (ET)*, the two 30-minute NBA Entertainment-produced shows will provide exclusive coverage of the games plus access on and off the court, delivering all the big shots, clutch performances and memorable moments from The Finals.  (*tentatively)
  • Off-Day Coverage: On non-game days, NBA TV will continue its comprehensive look into The Finals with coverage of team practices, press conferences, and Finals playbacks.

NBA.com

  • Mini-Movies:NBA.com will provide a five-minute, all-access look at The Finals through the lenses of NBA Entertainment’s cameras, all available online after each game.
  • Player of the Game: Beginning at halftime and through the conclusion of each game, users will have the ability to vote online or by text for the Player of the Game. Once the votes are tallied, the winner will be announced on-air and online.
  • Finals Hub page: NBA.com will construct a hub page for The Finals, which will include extensive video highlights, box scores, series stats, commentary, analysis, and game stories from the site’s stable of award-winning writers.
  • Live Streaming Video: The site will provide live streaming video from the Courtside Camera before every game in addition to live streaming video for every postgame news conference.
  • NBA.com live chats: NBA.com’s roster of critically-acclaimed reporters will conduct live chats during every game.
  • Playoff Pulse: The interactive application will allow users to track conversations, vote, and share content in real-time about NBA players and teams. In addition, Pulse will guide fans on popular trending topics to access more NBA postseason information including videos, photos, new stories, and blog posts.

NBA Mobile

  • NBA GameTime: NBA Mobile will add another mobile platform to its already bustling portfolio with the launch of NBA GameTime for Windows Phone. The app will give fans one touch access to video highlights, scores, play-by-play, team stats, and schedules.

NBA Digital is the NBA’s extensive cross-platform portfolio of digital assets jointly managed by the NBA and Turner Sports. This robust offering includes NBA TV, NBA.com, NBA LEAGUE PASS, NBA LEAGUE PASS Broadband, NBA Mobile, NBADLEAGUE.com and WNBA.com.

And that concludes this post.

About Ken Fang

Ken has been covering the sports media in earnest at his own site, Fang's Bites since May 2007 and at Awful Announcing since March 2013. He provides a unique perspective having been an award-winning radio news reporter in Providence and having worked in local television. Fang celebrates the three Boston Red Sox World Championships in the 21st Century, but continues to be a long-suffering Cleveland Browns fan.

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