Re: NBATV Conspiracy

[Rich <rich@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

> From: Ryan W <ubiquitous_am_i@xxxxxxxxx>
> Date: Wed, 30 Jul 2003 12:14:39 -0700 (PDT)
> To: celtics@xxxxxxxx
> Subject: Re: NBATV Conspiracy
> 
> 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.

Well, good. I certainly hope it stays this way.

One question though: do you mean Stern cannot "give" the games to NBATV
because he is only the commish, and that decision is reserved for the league
as a whole?

I ask because I do not mean to imply that Stern is some sort of dictator and
the rest of the league merely puppets in his hand. Rather, I believe that
his success has made him quite powerful within the league and it's given him
the ability to manipulate its direction. So, if he wants NBATV to eventually
be the exclusive carrier, as I fear he might, he'd be able to get it done.

> 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.

Not being privy to the content of these agreements, I can only hope the
"sovereignty" you mention does, in fact, and will continue to, supercede any
arrangements with NBATV.

> Actually, if I remember correctly, the games were
> shown on ESPN2.  In fact, I never remember any summer
> league games on FSNE.

My bad. I could've sworn some of the games were on FSNE. But whether it was
FSNE or ESPN2 last summer, the coverage was not repeated for those channels
this summer, implying, to me at least, a desire to promote NBATV to the
exclusion of others.

Rich