AirPlay offers hoop dreams

Interactive gaming company AirPlay is teaming with the National Basketball Association on a new offering that allows mobile users to compete against each other during basketball games.
NBA AirPlay Live lets basketball fans manage a five-man team of real players, pitting users against each other as they watch NBA broadcasts. Subscribers can rotate players in and out of the game and earn points based on their team’s performance. A leaderboard will allow gamers to see where they stand against players nationwide.
Sprint Nextel Corp. offers the title for $4 a month; the game will be rolled out to Cingular Wireless L.L.C. and Verizon Wireless in coming weeks. Toyota is sponsoring the game.
“NBA fans are active, wired and always looking for new ways to interact with their favorite teams and players,” said Steve Hellmuth, senior vice president of operations and technology for NBA Entertainment.