London Live... on *** Sports! New TV deal for NBA starting with sold-out O2 game
*** Sports will screen next week's NBA London Live game to launch their coverage of the sport after
agreeing a deal to televise the American sport until the end of the season.
ESPN had secured the exclusive rights last month after the season started in November without any airtime in the UK.
But *** have swooped in ahead of Thursday's regular season game at the O2 Arena between the New York Knicks and the Detroit Pistons.
As seen on TV: New York Knicks head to London next week with star man Carmelo Anthony
The sold-out fixture will be the first NBA game played in the UK to be show on 3D and ***'s coverage continues with
live Sunday night games for the rest of the regular season, followed by live NBA Playoff games, the entire
Eastern Conference Finals, and every game of the NBA Finals in June.
'The NBA has a strong fan base in the UK and the sold-out game at the O2 promises to be a great sporting spectacle,' said *** Sports' managing director, Barney Francis.
'We follow NBA London Live 2013 with primetime Sunday night games for the remainder of the regular-season and the drama of the post-season including every game of the NBA Finals.'
The addition of the NBA sees *** bolster their busy schedule of live sport in January and February, which includes
Barclays Premier League, UEFA Champions League knock-out stages, England’s ODI series against India, the ICC Women's World Cup, International netball,
rounds five and six of the Heineken Cup and the start of the Super League season.
ESPN will continue to screen the action from across the Atlantic too, meaning British fans will be able to watch five games a week until the season ends.
