The National Basketball Association (NBA) and its syndicate National Basketball Players Association (NBPA) have partnered up with Highlight Games Limited to develop a new virtual sports product based around the NBA.
The ‘NBA Last 90’ product, set to launch here in the US and across the European gaming and lottery markets, will make its debut during the 2019-20 NBA season across retail, online and mobile platforms.
“Virtual sports betting is incredibly popular in regions around the world and we’re looking forward to giving fans another innovative way to engage with the NBA,” said Scott Kaufman-Ross, Head of Fantasy & Gaming, NBA.
“With NBA Last 90, Highlight Games has created a new spin on virtual sports basketball and delivered an authentic gaming experience utilizing real NBA content.”
Highlight Games is set to utilise archived NBA highlights and a portfolio of footage from recent seasons which is hoped to deliver a ‘unique and compelling’ virtual sports experience.
“We are extremely excited about this partnership and the potential future opportunities for our players in the virtual gaming space,” said Josh Goodstadt, Executive Vice President of Licensing for THINK450, the commercial arm of the NBPA.
“We look forward to working with the NBA and Highlight Games to create a unique gaming experience that will help to grow the popularity of the players and the league worldwide.”
Players will have the chance to place bets on various outcomes in the game, including which team will win, who will score on the first possession and the total number of points scored by both teams, during the last 90 seconds of a simulated match-up between two NBA teams.
“I’m delighted to announce this groundbreaking partnership with NBA and NBPA,” said Tim Green, CEO Highlight Games.
“Highlight Games has an ambitious strategy to enter the nascent US sports betting and virtual sports market, and this collaboration is the first important step on that journey. NBA Last 90 features real NBA stars and real NBA highlights, differentiating it from any other virtual sports product on the market. We’re confident that players around the world will be instantly engaged with NBA Last 90.”
