NBA signs YouTube deal
2007-02-26 20:31
New York - Taking steps to protect internet downloading of their video highlights, the National Basketball Association signed a deal with YouTube on Monday giving the NBA the option to remove video from the site.
The league will also have a new area on YouTube, the NBA Channel, where fans can access original NBA content and submit their own basketball video clips as well as rate those of other people in a programme called "Post Up the NBA".
The NBA becomes the latest US sport league to join YouTube's "Claim Your Content" programme, a content identification and reporting system that allows the NBA to identify its copyrighted content on the sites of others.
If other sites are generating profit from NBA highlights, the NBA can opt to share in the income. In any case, the league will have the option to have the image struck from YouTube.
Google, which bought YouTube in November in a $1.65bn stock deal, is conducting a test to syndicate NBA action video clips over its AdSense network.
"By delivering a wide array of programming to YouTube, the NBA will be able to connect with its existing worldwide fan base and reach a vast new audience that is passionate about basketball," YouTube co-founder Chad Hurley said.
The NBA will post selected video highlights and behind-the-scenes footage from its NBA.com site on its YouTube area.
"YouTube's popularity and wide-reaching community of users provides the NBA with another unique way to reach our fans," NBA commissioner David Stern said.
"NBA fans will be able to interact and share their passion for the game by posting their best moves."