Tencent has secured an exclusivity deal with the NBA

Tencent may not be a household name in the West but on its home turf, China, it’s one of the most well-known technology companies out there. While it’s already one of the dominant players in the online gaming and social networking markets in China, the company is looking to expand its entertainment offerings by securing exlusive rights to stream NBA games in China. 

Tencent Holdings Ltd. said it has agreed to become the National Basketball Association’s exclusive online partner in China, the latest in a series of alliances aimed at beefing up its entertainment offerings for Chinese Internet users. Tencent, a giant in online games and social networks in China, said in a statement Friday that it will run live NBA matches and other related programs on its websites and mobile apps such as QQ and Weixin, which have hundreds of millions of users. Tencent and NBA will also launch “League Pass,” a paid service that allows users to stream live a full season of games online, for the first time in China, Tencent said.