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League teams up with Microsoft to enhance online experience for NBA fans.

The National Basketball Association (NBA) will employ Microsoft Silverlight on NBA.com to further enhance the online video experience for NBA fans around the world. Microsoft Silverlight, a cross-browser, multiplatform plug-in for delivering the next generation of media experiences and rich interactive applications for the Web, will also be utilized on WNBA.com and NBADevelopmentLeague.com.

NBA.com will feature a full-screen NBA photo gallery, offer video highlights and deliver additional interactive applications throughout the site using Microsoft Silverlight. Through the use of Microsoft Corp.’s new application, the NBA will be able to provide further access to its extensive digital video library, integrate the video experience seamlessly into the site, and ultimately provide fans with access to more online video features.

Microsoft Silverlight enables the fast delivery of high-quality video to all major browsers running on the Mac OS or Windows operating system. As a part of its relationship with Microsoft, the NBA will continue to explore additional opportunities to display video and photos throughout the site.

“As NBA.com’s usage continues to soar, Microsoft’s innovative Silverlight will provide our fans with access to more multimedia and video highlights than ever before,” said Steve Grimes, vice president of interactive services for NBA Entertainment. “This will be a great application for us to further showcase both historic and current NBA photos and video on NBA.com.”

“As we enter a new NBA season, we’re thrilled to partner with the NBA to bring that courtside experience through,” said Scott Guthrie, general manager in the Developer Division at Microsoft. “Silverlight is focused on delivering rich media scenarios in a browser that provide a more consistent viewing experience, and because it supports the VC-1 codec, the NBA is able to provide fans with access to hours and hours of archived games. Fans can catch up or relive their favorite moments whenever they want.”

This season, NBA.com is once again providing fans with access to a full season of live NBA game webcasts with NBA LEAGUE PASS Broadband and is offering more broadband highlights than ever before through NBA TV Broadband. In addition, throughout the 2007-08 NBA season the new Download Store on NBA.com will allow fans to download to their computer full NBA game broadcasts shortly after games conclude.

Overall, NBA.com continues to establish new traffic records for video usage on the site. During November – the first month of the 2007-08 NBA season – NBA.com set the all-time monthly record for video streams, with more than 38 million, representing an increase of 95 percent compared with the same month last season. The previous all-time monthly record, of more than 30 million video streams, was established in February 2007.

Source” Microsoft press release