A year after CCTV-5, China’s state-run equivalent of ESPN, shut down NBA games in the People’s Republic — and caused a huge financial loss for the NBA, the network announced Friday that it will air Game 5 of the NBA Finals between the Lakers and Heat. It cited the league’s help in COVID-19 relief efforts and other instances of “goodwill” by the NBA.
“During the recent Chinese National Day and Mid-Autumn Festival celebrations, the NBA sent their well wishes to fans in China,” CCTV said in a statement. “We also took note of the league has been continuously delivering goodwill [to China], particularly making positive contributions to Chinese people’s fight against COVID-19 pandemic.