Verizon and the NBA are promising development for augmented reality and "other new forms of content" that will take advantage of the carrier's network. There will also be a daily highlights show as well as original sports and "lifestyle" shows drawing from the NBA's deep video catalog. And while Verizon is touting how well this will work on its service, it stresses that the content won't be carrier-exclusive. You 'just' have to visit Yahoo Sports.

The partnership will launch in earnest starting with the NBA All-Star game on February 18th.

When you combine this with Verizon's switch in NFL strategy, it's not hard to see what's happening: rather than depend on carrier exclusives to reel you in, it's betting that special offers and exclusives on Yahoo will make it a go-to destination for sports fans. There's a considerably wider audience on Yahoo (including outside of the US) than there is with a carrier-specific service, and that means considerably more potential to make money from ads.