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lots more information on platforms, features. Some references added. Work in progress...
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During live games halts such as timeouts were originally filled with NBA spots/advertisements.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.facebook.com/pages/Stop-annoying-advertising-on-NBA-League-Pass/150736181650156|title=Stop-annoying-advertising-on-NBA-League-Pass|work=facebook|accessdate=9 May 2011}}</ref> The NBA spots were removed for the 2011 Finals, and game halts filled with real-time images from the arena, including performances of dance teams. Some advertisements were restored again in the 2011-2012 season in the form of a silent "NBA.TV Never miss a shot." screen presented during game halts. Through the 2012-2013 season timeouts and breaks were filled with a mixture of quiz questions, classic replays (often of last minute, important, game or title winning shots) and some occasional NBA presentations such as the [http://www.nba.com/cares/ NBA Cares] campaign. There number of questions and replays were fairly limited and quickly became repetitive to regular viewers. During the 2013 play-offs and finals these were replaced with inside arena views (dancers, crowd shots and occasionally presenters).
During live games halts such as timeouts were originally filled with NBA spots/advertisements.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.facebook.com/pages/Stop-annoying-advertising-on-NBA-League-Pass/150736181650156|title=Stop-annoying-advertising-on-NBA-League-Pass|work=facebook|accessdate=9 May 2011}}</ref> The NBA spots were removed for the 2011 Finals, and game halts filled with real-time images from the arena, including performances of dance teams. Some advertisements were restored again in the 2011-2012 season in the form of a silent "NBA.TV Never miss a shot." screen presented during game halts. Through the 2012-2013 season timeouts and breaks were filled with a mixture of quiz questions, classic replays (often of last minute, important, game or title winning shots) and some occasional NBA presentations such as the [http://www.nba.com/cares/ NBA Cares] campaign. There number of questions and replays were fairly limited and quickly became repetitive to regular viewers. During the 2013 play-offs and finals these were replaced with inside arena views (dancers, crowd shots and occasionally presenters).


Condensed games and shorter highlight packages are offered to subscribers after a game has finished. Condensed games show most of the major plays in each quarter where as the highlight packages show very brief highlights of the entire game. Some glitches have been reported (for example; the condensed version of the 2011 second round playoff game 5 featuring BOS @ MIA 'started' after the fourth quarter. This has led to heavy criticism among fans looking for a spoiler-free recap). In response the application(s) has improved year on year, with more platforms supported (apps are currently available for some Smart TVs, Apple TV, Xbox 360, Android and IOS devices, Windows phones and Amazon Kindle Fire)<ref></ref>, bug fixes and features added in new app' releases, with version 5.0 appearing prior to the 2013-14 season.<ref>9to5mac.com - "[http://9to5mac.com/2013/09/30/nba-game-time-ipad-app-updated-for-2013-2014-preseason/ NBA Game Time iPad app update for 13/14]". Accessed October 2nd 2013.</ref>
Condensed games and shorter highlight packages are offered to subscribers after a game has finished. Condensed games show most of the major plays in each quarter where as the highlight packages show very brief highlights of the entire game. Some glitches have been reported (for example; the condensed version of the 2011 second round playoff game 5 featuring BOS @ MIA 'started' after the fourth quarter. This has led to heavy criticism among fans looking for a spoiler-free recap). In response the application(s) has improved year on year, with more platforms supported (apps are currently available for some Smart TVs, Apple TV, Xbox 360, Android and IOS devices, Windows phones and Amazon Kindle Fire)<ref>watch.NBA.com - [http://watch.nba.com/nba/subscribe Subscription: NBA GAME TIME]. Accessed October 2nd 2013).</ref>, bug fixes and features added in new app' releases, with version 5.0 appearing prior to the 2013-14 season.<ref>9to5mac.com - "[http://9to5mac.com/2013/09/30/nba-game-time-ipad-app-updated-for-2013-2014-preseason/ NBA Game Time iPad app update for 13/14]". Accessed October 2nd 2013.</ref>


==NBA League Pass Broadband==
==NBA League Pass Broadband==

Revision as of 16:37, 2 October 2013

File:NBA League Pass (2010 Logo).jpg
NBA League Pass logo

NBA League Pass is an out-of-market sports package that allows its subscribers to watch up to 40 out-of-market National Basketball Association games a week. The service is operated by Turner Broadcasting System on behalf of the NBA. Videos of the games come from local stations and regional sports networks.

League Pass comes in three varieties in the United States: NBA League Pass TV, which plays the games through a cable or satellite TV provider; NBA League Pass Broadband, which uses highspeed Internet connection to stream videos to a computer; and NBA League Pass Mobile, which is for mobile devices.

Customers outside of the United States can sign up for NBA International League Pass.

The price for international viewers for the 2013/14 season is $269.99 for the premium package (which includes NBA archived footage and NBA TV) and $219.99 for the standard League Pass package.[1]

Blackout restrictions

If a local team is playing and the game is televised in the home market, the associated feed on League Pass is blacked out and unavailable for viewing.

Per the NBA.com website: “Games will also be blacked out when they are appearing on national television. This applies to games being televised on ABC, ESPN, Fox Sports, TNT and NBA TV. You may view these games simply by switching to the designated channel.”

NBA League Pass TV availability

NBA League Pass TV is available with these cable and satellite providers as well as streaming:

  • South America and Caribbean (except Brazil):

Most providers who offer subscriptions to League Pass TV also include NBA TV and a companion League Pass Broadband subscription. It is also given to select cable subs.

NBA International League Pass

In the 2010-2011 season NeuLion[4] took over[5] NBA International League Pass Broadband. Many features have been added to the service, including access to individual plays of the game via icons/markers.

During live games halts such as timeouts were originally filled with NBA spots/advertisements.[6] The NBA spots were removed for the 2011 Finals, and game halts filled with real-time images from the arena, including performances of dance teams. Some advertisements were restored again in the 2011-2012 season in the form of a silent "NBA.TV Never miss a shot." screen presented during game halts. Through the 2012-2013 season timeouts and breaks were filled with a mixture of quiz questions, classic replays (often of last minute, important, game or title winning shots) and some occasional NBA presentations such as the NBA Cares campaign. There number of questions and replays were fairly limited and quickly became repetitive to regular viewers. During the 2013 play-offs and finals these were replaced with inside arena views (dancers, crowd shots and occasionally presenters).

Condensed games and shorter highlight packages are offered to subscribers after a game has finished. Condensed games show most of the major plays in each quarter where as the highlight packages show very brief highlights of the entire game. Some glitches have been reported (for example; the condensed version of the 2011 second round playoff game 5 featuring BOS @ MIA 'started' after the fourth quarter. This has led to heavy criticism among fans looking for a spoiler-free recap). In response the application(s) has improved year on year, with more platforms supported (apps are currently available for some Smart TVs, Apple TV, Xbox 360, Android and IOS devices, Windows phones and Amazon Kindle Fire)[7], bug fixes and features added in new app' releases, with version 5.0 appearing prior to the 2013-14 season.[8]

NBA League Pass Broadband

The NBA offers a similar service for viewing games on a computer screen over the internet, with the same blackout rules. Options include the Premium plan, which allows users to watch all games not subject to blackout, and a reduced-price Choice plan, for which users choose 5 teams whose games they can watch. Customers can watch the games live or in an archive available at any point till the end of the regular season. The package expires beginning of July (e.g. July 5, 2012).

Prices in the 2009-2010 season were $149.95 for the Premium package and $99.95 for the Choice package. In 2010-2011, the prices rose 20% to $179.95 and $109.95 respectively as “early bird” rates for those who signed up before the season started, and $189.95 and $119.95 as the rates once the season began. For at least the past two years, the service has offered a free trial for the first games of the regular season. In the 2010-2011 season, trial customers could watch all non-blackout games from October 26 (the start of the regular season) through November 2. For the 2009-2010 season, a half-year package was offered at a reduced price beginning around the middle of the season. In 2010-2011, the Playoffs and Finals Premium and Standard packages were offered at $99.95 and $79.95 respectively. In 2011-2012, the Playoffs and Finals package was offered at $69.99. In 2012-2013, the Playoffs and Finals were offered free to subscribers for replay, meaning the games were not available for at least three hours after the game completed.

The current (2013-2014) season pass is different to previous seasons. The Premium package (priced at $269.99 prior to the season starting) now includes a "Video Vault" offering "NBA historic content: classic NBA Games, NBA TV shows, and NBA Documentaries" and NBA TV Live, as well as all of the features in the standard package. The Standard Package includes all of the 2012-2013 season games (as well as the all games in the 2013-2014 season, including All-Star, play-offs, finals as well as "most" pre-season games), HD Streaming and Multi-Game features. No "Choice" package (available in previous years) is currently available to purchase. [9]

WNBA Season Pass

Former WNBA Season Pass logo

From 1999 to 2001, NBA League Pass had a companion service called WNBA Season Pass which showed out-of-market games of the Women's National Basketball Association. The WNBA has discontinued this service; today, all national broadcasts are on ABC, ESPN2, or NBA TV. However, they now offer the WNBA Broadband Season Pass, a web program that allows subscribers to watch every game live for each season.[10]

See also

References

  1. ^ watch.NBA.com - Subscription: NBA GAME TIME. Accessed October 2nd 2013 (note: access from a UK IP. The page detects which country you are accessing from so may differ in region).
  2. ^ Roku Channel Store
  3. ^ NBA Apple TV Page
  4. ^ "neulion".
  5. ^ http://sportsvideo.org/main/blog/2010/10/26/neulion-takes-over-nba-league-pass-international/. {{cite news}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  6. ^ "Stop-annoying-advertising-on-NBA-League-Pass". facebook. Retrieved 9 May 2011.
  7. ^ watch.NBA.com - Subscription: NBA GAME TIME. Accessed October 2nd 2013).
  8. ^ 9to5mac.com - "NBA Game Time iPad app update for 13/14". Accessed October 2nd 2013.
  9. ^ watch.NBA.com - Subscription: NBA GAME TIME. Accessed October 2nd 2013).
  10. ^ http://www.wnba.com/broadband/bsp_info.html