The Digital NBA: How the World's Savviest League Brings the Court to Our Couch

The NBA uses a multiplatform strategy to reach a global audience, incorporating foreign languages and cultures into broadcasts to boost appeal. Steven Secular's analysis reveals how the NBA is becoming a successful media producer and distributor, similar to a streaming studio, while its media partners and sponsors erase any notion of sports as a civic good.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 240 pages
Publication date: 20 June 2023
Publisher: University of Illinois Press

The National Basketball Association (NBA) has successfully established a global presence through a multifaceted strategy that harnesses its remarkable ability to forge deep connections between fans and the world of basketball. In his book, Steven Secular takes readers on a captivating journey into the league's international operations, illuminating the historical trajectory of its approach to sports media, which spans from its early embrace of cable television in the 1980s to the transformative era of streaming technology in the twenty-first century. As fans from diverse corners of the globe tune in to stream NBA games and engage with league content, NBA teams have proactively incorporated foreign languages and cultural elements into their broadcasts to enhance the appeal of their products to audiences in Brazil, China, and beyond.

Secular's insightful analysis unveils how the NBA has successfully transitioned from being merely a sports league to a thriving media producer and distributor, more akin to a modern-day streaming studio than traditional sports organizations. This transformation is driven by the evolving media landscape, where media partners and sponsors increasingly question the notion of sports as a civic good. Despite these challenges, the NBA has managed to maintain its dominance and continue to captivate audiences worldwide.

The Digital NBA offers a timely and insightful examination of the dynamic media landscape, shedding light on how the games we love have evolved into content-driven phenomena, while the sport itself takes a backseat. It serves as a valuable resource for sports enthusiasts, media professionals, and anyone interested in understanding the evolving relationship between sports, technology, and media in the modern world.

Weight: 390g
Dimension: 229 x 151 x 31 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780252087349