International sports broadcaster ESPN has renewed its rights deal with FIBA in Australia and expanded its relationship with basketball’s global governing body by becoming its exclusive broadcast partner in New Zealand and the Pacific Islands for the next four-year cycle.
As part of the exclusive agreement, the Disney-owned network will provide live coverage of every game from the 2026 FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup and the 2027 men’s FIBA Basketball World Cup.
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Viewers will now be able to stream FIBA games live on the Disney+ streaming service through the new agreement.
Games will also continue to be distributed via ESPN services and channels on Foxtel, Kayo Sports, and Fetch TV in Australia, with FIBA rights complementing other top-tier basketball properties such as domestic NBL competition, as well as North America’s NBA and WNBA.
Coverage will be available for access via pay-TV giant Sky in New Zealand, while the deal brings international basketball to the Pacific Islands across the entire cycle for the first time.
Frank Leenders, director general of FIBA Media and Marketing Services, said: “It's great to not only be continuing our existing partnership with a renowned global broadcaster like ESPN, but to have also secured market expansion.
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By GlobalData“This is excellent news for fans in the region who will benefit from increased opportunities to consume the kind of quality basketball content that ESPN delivers via a multitude of platforms.
“The appetite for the sport in the likes of the Pacific Islands is growing rapidly, and so expanding the reach of FIBA basketball into even more homes will play its part in fuelling the ever-growing global popularity of the sport.”
