Re: NBATV Conspiracy

[Ryan W <ubiquitous_am_i@xxxxxxxxx>]

--- Rich <rich@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> If this long-time list lurker can chime in, I think
> this is exactly where
> the league office wants to go. The poor offers that
> the league received when
> the TV contract was last up for bid (a year or two
> ago), really annoyed Mr.
> Stern, IMO, and resulted in the salary cap going
> down, which, I'm sure,
> resulted in many complaints to the league office by
> the teams.
> 
> It seems to me that they've created NBATV as a
> response to this 'slight' by
> the various networks. They're going to take 2 or 3
> years to slowly get it
> off the ground (by getting fans to request the
> channel from their
> cable/satellite providers) and by the time the
> current TV contract is up,
> they'll be ready to do exactly as you've described
> below: a few 'highlight'
> games on national TV with rest available only on
> NBATV--excluding even local
> carriers. Goodbye, FSNE.

Nice, diabolical idea, but it's not going to
happen...each team signs an individual deal with an
individual network (though once Fox Sports came on to
the scene, things started getting monopolized in this
regard) for local television rights.  Each of these
contracts between the specific team and the local
network are of varying lengths.  Ergo, they will not
all expire at the same time and, even if Stern wanted
to, he wouldn't be able to "give" (give in quotation
marks because they aren't his to give in the first
place) all the games to NBA TV.  This does not even
factor in the question of whether the NBA has any but
the most minimal jurisdiction when it comes to local
viewing rights...they can black out in certain
circumstances, but the relationship between the
network and the local team is usually pretty
sovereign...even the games that are slated to be shown
on NBA TV will be available in the local markets on
the local channels.  
> 
> This has already happened with the summer league
> games, which were available
> on FSNE last summer, but weren't this summer.

Actually, if I remember correctly, the games were
shown on ESPN2.  In fact, I never remember any summer
league games on FSNE.  The only "off-season" Celtic
coverage I've ever seen on that channel was back when
it was the New England Sports Channel....I believe
they broadcast Pitino's first draft...along with the
much missed--because FSNS doesn't show it that
often--post game interview of the coaches...

> 
> By going this route, TV-related income will be known
> and partially
> controllable, which should help keep the caps and
> thresholds and salaries
> nicely on the rise--regardless of the quality of the
> product.
> 
> I won't go so far as to say that the LeBron hype is
> part of the plan, but 2
> or 3 years from would probably be about the time,
> barring injury or
> implosion, that he begins to dominate
> Jordan-style--which would be quite
> convenient, don't you think?
> 
> Rich
> (the other Rich D.)


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