American, JetBlue to Livestream NBA Games on Overseas Flights

(Bloomberg) -- American Airlines Group Inc. and JetBlue Airways Corp. will livestream National Basketball Association games on eligible flights outside the U.S. that are equipped with Viasat Inc. high-speed satellite connections.

The service is expected to be available soon enough for passengers to watch the NBA playoffs, which begin May 22, said Viasat spokeswoman Chris Phillips.

The multiyear agreement to carry NBA League Pass content excludes Canada and China as well as U.S. domestic flights. The limited availability is the result of NBA licensing rights, Phillips said.

Travelers on American will need to purchase Wi-Fi access to get the games but won’t face other charges. A spokeswoman for American said the airline has about 600 planes equipped with Viasat. JetBlue passengers won’t have any access fee.

The NBA’s regular pass is $28.99 a month and a “premium” version without advertising is $39.99. The NBA League Pass deal is similar to ones in which American offers Apple Music on Viasat-equipped planes and JetBlue provides Amazon Prime content.

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