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NBA TV and NBA.com to Deliver Extensive Multiplatform Coverage of the 2009 NBA Draft


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NBA TV and NBA.com will provide fans with all-access coverage leading up to, and continuing throughout, the 2009 NBA Draft presented by EA SPORTS, which will be held at the WaMu Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York City on Thursday, June 25th. For the first time Tennessee Volunteers men’s basketball head coach Bruce Pearl will join NBA TV’s draft night coverage to provide a unique perspective on the NBA Draft Preview Show presented by EA SPORTS at 6 p.m. ET and the 2009 NBA Draft Recap presented by EA SPORTS at Midnight ET. In addition, Pearl will provide blogs on NBA.com entitled “Pearl’s Gems” with his insight on the NBA Draft and prospects.

The NBA Draft coverage will be fully integrated with multiplatform content on NBA TV and NBA.com, with unprecedented opportunities for fans to interact with the NBA TV analysts, voice their opinions and access detailed information about each draft selection.

In addition to pre and post-draft analysis, an expert panel of announcers including host Rick Kamla, analysts Kenny Smith, Steve Smith and Pearl will provide Instant Analysis of key draft selections that will be available exclusively on NBA.com. NBA Insider David Aldridge will be on-hand for NBA TV and NBA.com with breaking news updates about trades. In addition, reporter Craig Sager will be on hand at Madison Square Garden in New York City to interview players moments after they are selected in the draft via the EA Sports Virtual Green Room, streamed on NBA.com. NBA Assistant Director of Scouting Ryan Blake will be in New York to provide scouting reports and draft analysis of international players throughout the night.

“The level of interactivity and depth of our 2009 Draft coverage is unprecedented as we deliver broad professional analysis and exclusive content generated by players and fans across our TV, Internet and Wireless platforms” said Bryan Perez, SVP and GM of NBA Digital. “We are thrilled to add Bruce Pearl to our industry leading analyst team as he brings great energy and insight having coached against many of the draft prospects on a collegiate level.”

NBA TV will offer original studio programming leading up to the NBA Draft including:
· Division Preview Shows presented by EA Sports (Thursday, June 18, 8 – 11 p.m. ET): Host Rick Kamla and analysts Mike Fratello and Ryan Blake will break down each division, team by team, to analyze each team’s biggest needs and possible draft strategies. Each team segment will be available on NBA.com.

· NBA GameTime: Prospect Park (Monday, June 22, 7 p.m. ET): Host Andre Aldridge and analyst and Ryan Blake will take a detailed look at the NBA Draft prospects from across the country and around the world.

· NBA GameTime: Coming Attractions (Tuesday, June 23, 7 p.m. ET): Host Rick Kamla, analyst Steve Smith, NBA Insider David Aldridge and Ryan Blake review the NBA.com mock drafts to anticipate possible selections for the 2009 NBA Draft.

· NBA GameTime: Interactive Draft Room (Wednesday, June 24, 7 p.m. ET): Host Andre Aldridge and NBA Insider David Aldridge will interact with fans during a live webcast on NBA.com from 4 – 5 p.m. ET. The show will use interactive platforms including NBA.com Fan Forums and NBA TV’s Twitter account to generate fan content, questions and comments related to the draft. The Interactive Draft Room will air on television at 7 p.m. ET.

· Division Review Shows presented by EA Sports (Friday, June 26, 7 – 10 p.m. ET): Host Rick Kamla and NBA Insider David Aldridge break down each division, team by team, to assess the impact of the draft on the team. Each team segment will also be available on NBA.com.

NBA.com will also offer additional exclusive content including: player blogs from draft prospects Blake Griffin, Tyler Hansborough and Stephen Curry; an exclusive interview with DKV Joventut player Ricky Rubio from Spain; live press conferences of the top draft selections; live draft trade chart to track team trades; prospect profiles and highlights; photo galleries, polls and fan reaction via NBA.com’s Fan Voice forums.

NBA Digital is a landmark partnership between the NBA and Turner Sports to jointly manage the NBA’s digital assets, which include NBA TV, NBA.com, NBA League Pass, NBADLeague.com and WNBA.com.

Turner Sports, a division of Turner Broadcasting, Inc., presents some of the best and most popular sporting events worldwide and is a leader in televised and online sports programming. With events airing on TBS and TNT, Turner Sports’ line-up includes NASCAR and NASCAR.com, the NBA, Major League Baseball, professional golf, PGATour.com and PGA.com. Turner Sports and the NBA also jointly manage NBA Digital, which includes NBA TV, NBA.com, NBA League Pass, NBADLeague.com and WNBA.com.

Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., a Time Warner company, creates and programs branded news, entertainment, animation and young adult media environments on television and other platforms for consumers around the world.



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