NEW YORK & CARLSBAD, Calif.—Airline passengers will now have in-flight access to NBA games thanks to a multi-year deal between the NBA and Viasat for NBA League Pass.
The deal enables passengers to access the NBA League Pass subscription streaming service so they can watch live and on-demand NBA games and content on their personal electronic devices at no extra cost when they register for NBA League Pass in-flight.
However, this deal is not currently available to flights within the U.S., Canada and China; though international flights to and from these countries will be able to use the streaming service. It will be available on all other routes.
JetBlue is set to be the first airline to offer NBA League Pass through Viasat, with more expected to be added in the future.
“We’re focused on evolving the way passengers enjoy in-flight internet by offering differentiated, premium over-the-top content and streaming experiences,” said Viasat Managing Director, Media & Mobile Applications, Dave Elliot. “We continue to explore and announce new partnerships, like the NBA. The trend to market content—and in this case, league assets—directly to customers is powerful, and offers more opportunity to drive customer acquisition through new business models that haven’t been previously offered through packaged, linear TV viewing.”
The service is launching in time for the 2021 NBA Playoffs, which tipoff on May 22.
