Tokyo, October 16, 2017 - Rakuten, Inc. announced that from today it will begin accepting registrations for “Rakuten NBA Special,” a monthly subscription service offering fans access to selected live NBA games through Rakuten TV, Rakuten’s video-on-demand service. The service is part of the recently announced partnership between Rakuten and the National Basketball Association (NBA) that saw Rakuten become the league’s exclusive distribution partner in Japan for all live NBA games.
Launching on October 18 with the opening games of the 2017-18 season, the Rakuten NBA Special will offer fans the opportunity to enjoy selected live NBA games with Japanese commentary. Fans who subscribe to the service with their Rakuten membership ID on the dedicated Rakuten NBA Special site on Rakuten TV will be able to watch nine games per week (one game per weekday and two games each on Saturdays and Sundays), a total of more than 200 games a year*1, both live and on-demand*2, for 972 yen (tax included) per month*3.
In addition to select regular season games featuring all 30 teams of the NBA, Rakuten NBA Special subscribers will also have access to the NBA All-Star game, selected playoff games, the NBA Conference Finals and The Finals. The service will launch with the opening games of the 2017-18 season between the Golden State Warriors and the Houston Rockets (tip-off at 11:00 JST, October 18) and the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Boston Celtics (tip-off at 9:00 JST, October 18).
Through its comprehensive media partnership with the NBA in Japan, Rakuten aims to expand the fan base of the NBA and contribute to the development of basketball in the country.
*1 A minimum of 200 games per season will be made available through Rakuten NBA Special.
*2 Games will be available for on-demand viewing for a period of one month (tentative) after the original live stream concludes.
*3 For Rakuten TV, one month refers to the period from the first day to the last day of the month. In the first month, the period is from the day of registration to the end of the month. From the second month, subscriptions will automatically renew on the first of every month.