Turner, NBA extend relationship to digital

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Cable network Turner Broadcasting System and the National Basketball Association said on Thursday they have expanded their long-term partnership to include digital assets such as the league's 24-hour TV network and Web sites.

The two parties said the new partnership will be effective for the 2008-09 NBA season and run through the 2015-16 season.

The NBA Digital venture will be jointly managed by both partners and will include NBA TV, NBA.com, WNBA.com, NBADLeague.com.

The NBA and TBS, which is owned by Time Warner Inc, will jointly sell advertising for all the digital assets.

Turner and the NBA already have one of the longest running network TV rights agreements in the U.S. professional sports at 32 years. Turner's TNT airs 52 regular-season games exclusively and more than 40 playoff games.

(Reporting by Yinka Adegoke; Editing by Derek Caney)