NBA Goes High-Def in China

The National Basketball Association (NBA) and Shanghai Media Group's Shanghai Interactive TV Ltd. (SiTV) unit are partering to bring high-def NBA action to China. SiTV’s New Vision HD TV Channel will broadcast five live games of the NBA 2006 Playoffs in HDTV, marking the first time a live sports game will be broadcast in HD in China.

The game shown will be Game 2 of the Phoenix Suns vs. L.A. Lakers series on Wednesday, April 26, at 10:30 p.m. ET. To tip off the high-definition era in China, the NBA and Shanghai Media Group will host a viewing party of the game, open to the media, at the Shanghai Media Group’s ballroom.

The deal follows up on a marketing partnership announced earlier this month between the NBA and Haier, China’s largest appliance maker. Haier will supply HDTV sets for the event, and will place SD sets alongside them to show off the quality of HD.