The Sal’s NBL is set to tip off this Thursday night and will be broadcast live across the country, through SKY, free-to-air on Prime and Stuff.co.nz.
On Thursdays for Sky and Prime, host Huw Beynon will be courtside with a pre-game update during The Crowd Goes Wild, before being joined by a range of well-known local basketball stars to bring expert commentary and comments live as the game unfolds.
Between rounds, Beynon will also ensure fans are up to date with the latest news including NBL round updates in SKY Sport’s new weekly Kiwi Basketball Show, screening Tuesdays on SKY Sport and Wednesdays on Prime.
Stuff.co.nz and the Stuff App will livestream Friday, Saturday and Sunday games.
Basketball New Zealand General Manager, Justin Nelson, says seeing the Sal’s NBL games on these platforms will increase in viewership with more New Zealanders able to watch and enjoy the Sal’s NBL.
“With the help of Sky and Stuff more people will get to see, hear and read about the Sal’s NBL more often.
“You will be hard pressed to find a basketball league across the Southern Hemisphere between April and August that is to the level of the New Zealand NBL. The league continues to attract high quality local and international players.
“We are a fans-first league, we are here to put on a show and you will now get a greater opportunity to experience that with Sky, Prime and Stuff,” says Nelson.
New Zealand basketball is experiencing relentless growth. Secondary-schools participation rates have soared to #2 in the country. Last year saw more Tall Blacks home tests than ever before, and New Zealand’s entrance into the FIBA Asia Zone is producing World Cup berths for age-groups and open sides. Now, there will be more Kiwi basketball on our screens thanks to the Sal’s NBL.
Sky Director of Sport, Tex Teixeira, agrees: “Basketball is going from strength to strength around the world, and Sky and Prime are delighted to be involved with the Sal’s NBL. We want to help grow engagement, build the profile of kiwi players, and most importantly take the NBL to the fans wherever they are consuming it.”
Stuff’s National Sports Editor, Fred Woodcock, is excited to see more NBL games shown through Stuff.
"It’s great that this wider coverage will mean more sports fans can engage with the NBL. We’re very proud to be streaming three matches a week and looking forward to keeping basketball fans updated in our role as the NBL’s official news partner," says Woodcock.
The Sal’s NBL is set to tip off on Thursday with the opening game between the Manawatu Jets and Supercity Rangers. In a first for the NBL, Round Two involves the entrance of an Australian team, the Tasmanian Huskies.
SKY Sport & Prime NBL Broadcast Schedule
Jets v Rangers - Thursday 11 April, 7.30pm - SKY Sport & Prime
Giants v Sharks - Thursday 18 April, 7.30pm - SKY Sport & Prime
Saints v Sharks - Thursday 25 April, 7.30pm - SKY Sport & Prime
Rams v Hawks - Thursday 2 May, 7.30pm - SKY Sport & Prime
Rams v Giants - Thursday 9 May, 7.30pm - SKY Sport & Prime
Giants v Hawks - Thursday 16 May, 7.30pm - SKY Sport & Prime
Sharks v Hawks - Thursday 23 May, 7.30pm - SKY Sport & Prime
Rangers v Sharks - Thursday 30 May, 7.30pm - SKY Sport & Prime
Saints v Airs - Thursday 6 June, 7.30pm - SKY Sport & Prime
Hawks v Giants - Thursday 13 June, 7.30pm - SKY Sport & Prime
Rangers v Jets - Thursday 20 June, 7.30pm - SKY Sport & Prime
Giants v Rams - Thursday 27 June, 7.30pm - SKY Sport & Prime
Airs v Jets - Thursday 4 July, 7.30pm - SKY Sport & Prime
Hawks v Rams - Thursday 11 July, 7.30pm - SKY Sport & Prime
SEMI FINAL 1 - Saturday 20 July, 3.10pm - SKY Sport & Prime
SEMI FINAL 2 - Saturday 20 July, 6.30pm - SKY Sport & Prime
FINAL Sunday 21 July, 6.30pm - SKY Sport & Prime
The full schedule and where to watch can be found here: https://nznbl.basketball/schedule/
Kiwi Basketball Show. Tuesdays at 7.30pm on SKY Sport from April 16 and Wednesdays at 6.30pm on Prime from April 17.
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Media Contacts:
• Basketball New Zealand: Joe Wallace, Communications Manager, Email joe@nz.basketball, Phone 021 246 4814
