• by Joe Mandese  @mp_joemandese, November 10, 2005

The National Basketball Association, the professional sports league that has shown an inclination to bypass TV networks in the past, Wednesday unveiled plans for bypassing television. The NBA launched NBA TV Broadband, a new ad-supported broadband video network offering users free access to "in-game" video highlights of the NBA's 2005-06 season. The new platform doesn't bypass TV altogether, but offers a new outlet for the sport, and one that is truly global, and on-demand in nature.

In addition to direct Web access, the new broadband feeds will be delivered to users who opt to receive them as video RSS feeds.

Charter advertisers of the broadband platform include presenting sponsor Toyota, as well as Reebok, Nike, Converse, Sony PlayStation, Hannspree, Finish Line, 20th Century Fox Home Videos.

The NBA said it initially will not offer live coverage of full games, but announced that at least part of the broadband network's coverage would align with one of its major TV partners: Time Warner's TNT network. The broadband network will include "TNT Overtime," a special online video channel highlighting TNT's cable network coverage of NBA games.

However, NBA TV Broadband is the latest foray by the league to develop its own TV distribution stream. The NBA operates its own NBA TV network, a 24-hour channel featuring highlights of NBA games, and has deals for distributing premium packages of games with satellite TV providers.