Fans who are unable to attend the Genesis Brighton Bears match against Newcastle Eagles next Tuesday (14 February) will now be able to tune in live via the Internet on ITV Local.

In a unique deal between the basketball team and ITV’s broadband venture, the BBL championship match at the Brighton Centre will be broadcast live through www.itvlocal.tv in a 150-minute programme which also features pre-match interviews and behind-the-scenes news. A highlight will be the appearance of NBA and Big Brother star Dennis Rodman, in his second outing for the Bears.

ITV Local is available worldwide to anyone with a computer and a broadband connection. It is currently being trialled by ITV Meridian and carries news and features about the South and South-East of England. This will be the first time that the service has offered live streaming of an event, which will be on a pay-per-view basis. Numbers of viewers will be limited, so fans are advised to pre-register for the match from Friday 10 February, for a charge of £7.50.

Quote Nick Nurse, head coach of the Genesis Brighton Bears: "This is a fantastic opportunity for Bears fans all over the world to see them live. Dennis Rodman is great entertainment and is truly an NBA Legend. We are excited to see this event take place around the globe!"

Lindsay Charlton, Managing Director of ITV Meridian, adds: "This is a very exciting venture for ITV Local, and I am delighted that our partners in it are the Brighton Bears. If this trial is successful then we intend to offer other pay-per-view events as a broadband service for viewers of ITV Local, which is an important new addition to ITV’s family of channels."

ITV Local is powered by Narrowstep Inc, the TV on the Internet Company whose system TelVOS (Television Operating System) enables comprehensive delivery of video content and television-like programming to mobile, wireless, internet, broadband and broadcast services.