Weibo signs partnership with NBA China

Chinese social media giant Weibo Corp. expanded its online sports presence by signing a partnership with NBA China to become the American professional basketball league’s official social media broadcasting platform, Caixin reports. The deal came after Sina Corp., Weibo’s parent company and a major news portal, lost its NBA digital broadcasting rights last year to rival Tencent Holdings. Sina switched strategy to cooperate with the NBA on Weibo, a social media platform similar to Twitter. Last month, Weibo live-streamed American professional football’s Super Bowl to Chinese viewers. Social media has transformed the way Chinese fans learn about and watch National Basketball Association games, said NBA China CEO David Shoemaker. Social media platforms are becoming a central battlefield for promoting local and international sporting events, Weibo said in a statement.