NBA's great leap forward in China

Hong Kong - The National Basketball Association has embarked on a major overhaul of its three Chinese portals in collaboration with Chinese media conglomerate Tom Group.

Hong Kong tycoon Li Ka-Sing, a major shareholder of Tom Group, and Walt Disney's ESPN together own up to 11% of NBA China.

Tom Group has been named NBA's official internet website partner under this deal and it will deliver live game webcast, video-on-demand and highlights via the three websites and CETV, a 24-hour Mandarin entertainment owned by the Tom Group.

NBA China, Taiwan and Hong Kong, which accounts for 30% of its overall online traffic, have received more than 385 million online visitors so far.

Ken Yeung, CEO of Tom Group, said its partnership with NBA China is a continuation of its sports strategy.

"The NBA's website will become the heart of Tom's sports channel where we will further enhance our service offerings and create synergies within Tom Group's unique and diversified media assets."

David Stern, NBA Commissioner, said Tom Group's tools and reach will allow it to communicate with the fans on a daily basis and continue to grow the game.

The group announced partnership with AEG to develop NBA-style arenas in major cities across China last week.