NBA TV Lets Facebook and Yahoo Users Pick Primetime Games

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NBA TV, the official cable channel of the National Basketball Association, is letting Facebook and Yahoo viewers help decide what game is broadcast in the primetime slot for one night per week. In previous years, the channel posted a poll only at NBA.com to facilitate the idea, but has broadened the effort to the highly trafficked sites.

Voting is up 147 percent so far this year, a rep for Turner Sports, which operates NBA TV, tells ClickZ News. Fan engagement may be helping NBA TV's ratings, which are up "across the board" compared to 2011, the rep said.  

In the marketing program's fifth installation this season, fans have selected the Denver vs. Memphis contest for Jan. 31 from a total of five game options. Dubbed "Fan Night," the initiative runs all season.

NBA TV is consistently pushing "Fan Night" with its social media accounts. The pro basketball channel's Facebook page has 297,000 fans/likes, while it's built up 111,000 followers on Twitter.

Additionally, NBA TV has partnered with GetGlue, inviting viewers to record "TV check-ins" on the mobile app. For Chicago vs. Indiana on Jan. 24, nearly 24,000 people checked in via the channel's "Fan Night" GetGlue page.

Here's a recent Facebook post featuring the second-screen initiative:

Are you ready for #FANNIGHT on NBA TV?! Tune in now for the Cavs vs. Heat game! See Kyrie in action vs. LeBron James! Don't forget to check in!