NBA to Use Microsoft Silverlight Applications on NBA.com

The National Basketball Association (NBA) will employ Microsoft Silverlight on NBA.com to further enhance the online video experience for NBA fans around the world. Microsoft Silverlight, a cross-browser, multiplatform plug-in for delivering the next generation of media experiences and rich interactive applications for the Web, will also be utilized on WNBA.com and NBADevelopmentLeague.com.

NBA.com will feature a full-screen NBA photo gallery, offer video highlights and deliver additional interactive applications throughout the site using Microsoft Silverlight. Through the use of Microsoft Corp.’s new application, the NBA will be able to provide further access to its extensive digital video library, integrate the video experience seamlessly into the site, and ultimately provide fans with access to more online video features.

Microsoft Silverlight enables the fast delivery of high-quality video to all major browsers running on the Mac OS or Windows operating system. As a part of its relationship with Microsoft, the NBA will continue to explore additional opportunities to display video and photos throughout the site.

“As NBA.com’s usage continues to soar, Microsoft’s innovative Silverlight will provide our fans with access to more multimedia and video highlights than ever before,” said Steve Grimes, vice president of interactive services for NBA Entertainment. “This will be a great application for us to further showcase both historic and current NBA photos and video on NBA.com.”

“As we enter a new NBA season, we’re thrilled to partner with the NBA to bring that courtside experience through,” said Scott Guthrie, general manager in the Developer Division at Microsoft. “Silverlight is focused on delivering rich media scenarios in a browser that provide a more consistent viewing experience, and because it supports the VC-1 codec, the NBA is able to provide fans with access to hours and hours of archived games. Fans can catch up or relive their favorite moments whenever they want.”

This season, NBA.com is once again providing fans with access to a full season of live NBA game webcasts with NBA LEAGUE PASS Broadband and is offering more broadband highlights than ever before through NBA TV Broadband. In addition, throughout the 2007–08 NBA season the new Download Store on NBA.com will allow fans to download to their computer full NBA game broadcasts shortly after games conclude.

Overall, NBA.com continues to establish new traffic records for video usage on the site. During November — the first month of the 2007–08 NBA season — NBA.com set the all-time monthly record for video streams, with more than 38 million, representing an increase of 95 percent compared with the same month last season. The previous all-time monthly record, of more than 30 million video streams, was established in February 2007.

About the NBA

The NBA, founded in 1946, is a global sports and entertainment brand that features 30 teams in the United States and Canada. During the 2007–08 season, the NBA will distribute games and programming to 215 countries and territories in 41 languages. The league’s worldwide reach can also be seen with 76 international players from 30 countries and territories on NBA rosters. Domestically, the NBA broadcasted 142 games on national television last season on ABC, TNT, ESPN and ESPN2, and eclipsed attendance records for the fourth consecutive season.

NBA TV, launched in 1999 as the first 24-hour television channel created and operated by a professional sports league, is distributed to 80 countries. NBA merchandise is sold in more than 100,000 stores in 100 countries on six continents; NBA.com gets more than half of its visitors from outside the United States.

As fans witness tremendous performances on the court, some of the NBA’s most significant efforts occur off the court. NBA Cares is the league’s social responsibility initiative that builds on the NBA’s long tradition of addressing important social issues in the United States and around the world. During the first year of NBA Cares, teams, current and former players, and the league office contributed 205,000 hours of hands-on volunteer service, raised more than $32 million for charity, and created 109 places where kids and families can live, learn or play. NBA Cares works with internationally recognized youth-serving programs that support education, youth and family development, and health-related causes, including UNICEF, Reading Is Fundamental, Habitat for Humanity, Boys & Girls Clubs of America, Feed the Children, Special Olympics, KaBoom!, Make-A-Wish Foundation and many others.