NBA fans in China seek refund from Tencent as streaming suspended
This month, Tencent reported its slowest revenue growth since 2004
Some Chinese National Basketball Association (NBA)fanshave asked forstreamingsubscriptionrefundsfromexclusive service providerTencentamid a deepening free speech row, a move that could cause the tech giant financial pain.
TencentHoldingsrenewed its exclusive digital partnership with theNBAin July, securing rights to stream the USgames inChina, a market with an estimated 500 millionfans.
But the Chinese social media giant behind the ubiquitous app WeChat may now become a corporate casualty of the deepening row sparked by Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey, who expressed support for Hong Kong protests in a tweet over the weekend.
That prompted a furor in mainlandChina, and local sponsors of the games have pulled out.
Tencenthalted broadcasting games involving the Rockets over the weekend and later said it would stop broadcasting the entire preseason afterNBAcommissioner Adam Silver voiced his support for Morey's "freedom of political expression" on Tuesday.
It said users subscribing to the Rockets games can switch to feedsfromotherNBAteams or apply for arefund.
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Refunds have become a hot topic online with more than 3 million views on Twitter-like Weibo social media platform on Wednesday. Some users claimed they had received automaticrefunds rangingfrom$2.80-$37, depending on what packages they subscribe to.
Tencentdeclined to comment onrefunds.
The Houston Rockets became the most popularNBAteam inChinaafter drafting Chinese player Yao Ming with the first overall pick in the 2002 draft. He became a star and helped build theNBA's following inChina.
Tencentextended itsNBApartnership through 2024-25 season in July, according to anNBAstatement. The value of the deal was not disclosed, but the Chinese sports news portal Lanxiong Sports reported it was worth about $1.5 billion.
Nearly 500 million people watched last season'sNBAgames onTencent's video platform, up threefold since the 2014-15 season,Tencentsaid in July.
Tencentisn't the only company distancing itselffrombusiness dealings with theNBA. Chinese Smartphone maker Vivo, state-run broadcaster CCTV and sportswear maker ANTA Sports Products Ltd all halted cooperation with theNBAon Monday.