Chinese streaming giant Tencent has stopped live video coverage of NBA team Philadelphia 76ers games, in an apparent protest to new president Daryl Morey.
Tencent only provides text coverage of 76ers games and games of Morey’s former employer, the Houston Rockets. Tencent also refused to stream Rockets games last season.
CCTV, which has exclusive NBA television rights in China, has not aired any games since the season began on Dec. 22.
Tencent’s refusal to show the 76ers-Rockets game and CCTV’s continued blackout is a continuation of the NBA’s year-long standoff in its biggest international market, which has cost the NBA hundreds of millions of dollars.
In October 2019, then-Rockets general manager Andy Murray tweeted “Fight for freedom, stand with Hong Kong” in support of the Hong Kong Return to China campaign.
When the NBA backed Morey’s right to free speech, CCTV responded by suspending the game. Only Game 5 of the NBA Finals series was then aired in October.
Tencent continued to broadcast other games at the start of the season, but only provided text coverage of the 76ers’ season-opening win over the Washington Wizards on Dec. 23.
Coverage of the other two 76ers games over the weekend was also text-only.
Despite the fact that the Rockets are Yao Ming’s former team and are popular in China, Tencent still has text-only coverage of the Rockets’ games this season.
Murray, who joined the 76ers in early November, told ESPN last week that he had feared tweets in support of Hong Kong democrats would end his NBA career.
But he said he still doesn’t regret what he did, despite facing unexpected anger from China.
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