Under a $100 million three year deal, Samsung will see its technology used courtside at National Basketball Association games, WSJ reports citing “people familiar with the matter.” Being the official supplier of tablets and TVs for the NBA, Samsung will also supply courtside monitors which will be used by referees to review close calls, once the new season kicks off later this week. NBA has had similar deals with Haier Group and HP in the past.
This deal no doubt gets Samsung close to the action, and it would become one of the most visible companies at NBA games over the next three years. The report also suggests that the NBA will customize video content for Samsung devices, not just mobile devices though, customized content may also be made available to Samsung TVs. The deal is also likely to generate a lot of buzz for Samsung devices and services, as the Korean manufacturer looks to set its offerings apart from its competitors in the market. This isn’t Samsung’s first NBA related venture. It has previously tapped LeBron James to star in a commercial for its Galaxy Note 2 phablet. It also partnered up with former Brooklyn Nets owner Jay Z prior to the launch of his new album, Magna Carta Holy Grail, a million copies of which were exclusively provided to Galaxy S3, S4 and Note 2 owners for free by Samsung.