NBA TV is an American sports-oriented cable and satellite television network that is owned by the National Basketball Association (NBA) and operated by the Turner Broadcasting System subsidiary of Time Warner; the NBA also uses the network as a way of advertising the league's out-of-market sports package NBA League Pass, and partner channel TNT. Dedicated to basketball, the network features exhibition, regular season and playoff game telecasts from the NBA and related professional basketball leagues, as well as NBA-related content including analysis programs, specials and documentaries. The network also serves as national broadcaster of the NBA D-League and WNBA games. NBA TV is the oldest cable network in North America to be owned or controlled by a professional sports league, having launched on March 17, 1999.

As of February 2015, NBA TV is available to approximately 57,129,000 households that subscribe to cable, satellite or telco television service (totaling 49.1% of households with at least one television set) in the United States.

NBA TV Canada is a Canadian English language Category B cable and satellite specialty channel that is owned by Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment (MLSE).

History

In December 2000, MLSE was granted approval by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) for a Category 2 digital specialty channel license tentatively known as Raptors Basketball Channel, a channel described as being devoted primarily to the Toronto Raptors basketball franchise and the National Basketball Association (NBA), with additional programming related to other aspects of basketball.

The channel was launched on September 7, 2001 as Raptors NBA TV, with programming focused on the NBA and other basketball-related programming, although it maintained a particular emphasis on the Toronto Raptors. On October 15, 2010, the channel was renamed as NBA TV Canada, as the network began to air more programming devoted to the NBA and international basketball in general, much like its American counterpart.