NBA's TV extensions

[Pistons < Spurs]

The NBA announced extensions of its television contracts with ESPN/ABC and TNT on Wednesday, deals that will include rights for digital media content.

The eight-year extensions will go through the 2015-16 season. The current six-year contracts expire at the end of next season.

Financial details were not immediately disclosed.

The digital rights include the ability for the networks to broadcast live games and other content on digital media, including the Web and mobile TV. The deal also covers any new outlets ESPN develops between now and 2016.

ESPN's digital rights also include:

• Ability to include ESPN and ABC games and studio programming in any ESPN offering, on a live, delayed and on-demand basis and in an interactive format.

• Use of NBA-licensed content in multi-sport programming.

• Ability to simulcast full NBA games live on ESPN360.com and ESPN Mobile TV.

• Continued development of GameCast, fantasy games and interactive applications, as well as ESPN content and programming integration into EA Sports video games.

• Use of NBA-licensed content in user-personalized features on ESPN platforms.

"This agreement sets a new standard -- it is the most expansive package of rights we've acquired from a major professional league in our 27-year history," ESPN president George Bodeheimer said. "We're thrilled to take a major step forward in our relationship with David Stern and the NBA with this broad, global agreement. The scope of this deal and the new rights we obtained offer us tremendous opportunities to serve NBA fans like never before -- in the U.S., around the world, and through any device."

ABC will continue to air 15 regular-season games and the entire NBA Finals and will televise an increased number of games earlier in the playoffs. The maximum number of times a certain team can appear on the network during the regular season has been increased.

ESPN and ESPN2 will continue to show up to 75 regular-season games as well as one of the conference finals. ESPN will increase the number of early-round playoff games it airs.

In addition, ESPN will televise exclusive coverage of the NBA All-Star Celebrity Game, the NBA draft and draft lottery each season, and feature coverage of the yearly NBA pre-draft camp on ESPNU.

The contract also includes new rights for ESPN International to televise games worldwide.

TNT will continue to air 52 regular-season games, the All-Star Game and one of the conference finals.

The previous deal paid the NBA an average of $765 million a year.


http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=2918089

[bigfish22]

This is very sadening to me. Can a brother get some NBC chime action on a Sunday afternoon? Is that too much to ask for? It just ain't the same no more.

[Drive Like Jehu]

The bad part is only 15 regular season games on broadcast TV.

[bigfish22]

^ What's so bad about that? ABC broadcasts are terrible. They use those lame ass angles that make you dizzy and disoriented when you watch. And then the commentary speaks for itself, literally! Bring back Costas, Walton, Albert, and Rashaad and then all will be right with the world again.

Wait, I almost forgot to mention the NBA on NBC theme song. CLASSIC!

[ChumpDumper]

Good news.

[RonMexico]

Worst deal ever - ABC/ESPN have Disney's money to throw at the league and (well, I don't want to sound like a bigot here, but bear with me) when you put that kind of green in front of a Jew (Stern), there's no way NBC had a shot.

[ChumpDumper]

You don't just sound like a bigot -- you are a bigot.

[OldDirtMcGirt]

Worst deal ever - ABC/ESPN have Disney's money to throw at the league and (well, I don't want to sound like a bigot here, but bear with me) when you put that kind of green in front of a Jew (Stern), there's no way NBC had a shot.

Don't you have Klan meeting you should be getting to?

[MaNuMaNiAc]

The contract also includes new rights for ESPN International to televise games worldwide.


anybody know more about this?

[RonMexico]

Don't you have Klan meeting you should be getting to?

No, it's actually a dog fight.

You're trying to tell me that the decision for the NBA to give that kind of access across multiple mediums (television and other digital means) to a company with terrible production for 3 years (ABC/ESPN) is not based on the massive amount of money the league is going to receive? NBC Sports has been going down the tubes recently and I don't think they received the green light to throw out that kind of cash ($900+ million per year) to provide superior coverage.

Then again, this is David Stern we're talking about here and he thought it was a good idea to introduce a new basketball despite the complaints of his players (his greatest commodity by the way), so how could I expect him to think the wire cams are causing epileptic seizures among his viewers? He'll probably call us all wimps until he decides around Jan. 1, 2008 that maybe we're right. Then again, he hasn't sold out to EA Sports in an exclusive deal yet, so maybe there is hope for him.

Everyone knows that TNT's coverage is the best (and NBC's was the best for the playoffs), while ESPN/ABC have been going down the tubes in ALL sports coverage, not just the NBA. Like I said, the money talked in this case.

[leemajors]

930 million total for the deal. not shabby.

[Doug Collins]

Bring back the John Tesh intro music!

[Doug Collins]

Worst deal ever - ABC/ESPN have Disney's money to throw at the league and (well, I don't want to sound like a bigot here, but bear with me) when you put that kind of green in front of a Jew (Stern), there's no way NBC had a shot.


You must grab him by his horns... :elephant

[ChumpDumper]

No, it's actually a dog fight.

You're trying to tell me that the decision for the NBA to give that kind of access across multiple mediums (television and other digital means) to a company with terrible production for 3 years (ABC/ESPN) is not based on the massive amount of money the league is going to receive? NBC Sports has been going down the tubes recently and I don't think they received the green light to throw out that kind of cash ($900+ million per year) to provide superior coverage.NBC shot its wad a long time ago to cover the Olympics almost indefinitely. Of course they weren't going to give the NBA that kind of money.


Everyone knows that TNT's coverage is the best (and NBC's was the best for the playoffs), while ESPN/ABC have been going down the tubes in ALL sports coverage, not just the NBA. Like I said, the money talked in this case.Why should the NBA go with a deal that would pay far less money? You want the salary cap to go down and the players to make less money?

And you're a bigot.

[RonMexico]

NBC shot its wad a long time ago to cover the Olympics almost indefinitely. Of course they weren't going to give the NBA that kind of money.

Why should the NBA go with a deal that would pay far less money? You want the salary cap to go down and the players to make less money?

And you're a bigot.

And you're retarded, with a terrible picture of Anthony Michael Hall as an avatar, have terrible judgment when it comes to closing threads, and it's not funny anymore to pretend to be a Hawks fan.

That said - Borat is right... we must crush them.

What was my original point? Oh that's right - the only reason ABC/ESPN have that kind of money to throw around is because they have Walt's fortune to fall back upon... unlike NBC, they do not have any extra cash based on their own merit. So it just means that until 2016, true NBA fans will endure crappy basketball coverage with only 15 games on broadcast TV.

[ChumpDumper]

What was my original point? Oh that's right - the only reason ABC/ESPN have that kind of money to throw around is because they have Walt's fortune to fall back upon... unlike NBC, they do not have any extra cash based on their own merit.:lmao :lmao :lmao

You might want to check your Fortune 500 list first, stupid bigot.

#6 - General Electric

#64 - Disney

http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/fortune500/2007/full_list/index.html

Since you probably can't do the math, I'll help you. NBC's parent company made over $17 billion more in profits than ABC's parent company last year.

Who has the fortune to fall back on?

Now shut the fuck up.

[lefty]

TNT I like

ABC/ESPN :depressed :depressed

[RonMexico]

:lmao :lmao :lmao

You might want to check your Fortune 500 list first, stupid bigot.

#6 - General Electric

#64 - Disney

http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/fortune500/2007/full_list/index.html

Since you probably can't do the math, I'll help you. NBC's parent company made over $17 billion more in profits than ABC's parent company last year.

Who has the fortune to fall back on?

Now shut the fuck up.

It's called Mickey Mouse. And Jeff Zucker's failed so many times that it's over for NBC. Disney's primary industry is entertainment, while GE spreads across multiple industries... I guess when you go from #1 in network rankings to #4 and you lose every major sport, while also broadcasting a terribly rated NHL Finals, then you must not have a lot of pull when you head up to Jeff Immelt's office and ask for some cash to give a league that just had an awful NBA Finals. All eggs in two baskets: Olympics and Triple Crown. They even lost Arena Football to ESPN....

[ChumpDumper]

It's called Mickey Mouse.Yes, Disney is a Mickey Mouse company compared to General Electric.

[RonMexico]

Yes, Disney is a Mickey Mouse company compared to General Electric.

And Nintendo is a Mickey Mouse company compared to Sony, so why does everyone keep buying the Wii?

Oh yeah, I guess it's because Nintendo has put out an affordable, innovative, and fun machine, while consumers aren't as dumb as NBA front office types who prefer greenbacks to superior products.

And yes, I would like the players' salaries to go down.

[ChumpDumper]

Sorry dude, you've been proven to be horribly wrong about the buying power of the two companies and now you want to talk about video games and your envy of NBA players' wealth.

Shut the fuck up.

[dickface]

I'll get the Jew Gold that Stern keeps around his neck. Along with the decoy bag of fake Jew Gold.

[dickface]

Don't you have Klan meeting you should be getting to?

black people hate jews too. except for sammy davis jr.

[RonMexico]

Sorry dude, you've been proven to be horribly wrong about the buying power of the two companies and now you want to talk about video games and your envy of NBA players' wealth.

Shut the fuck up.

No, you've proven to be horribly incorrect about revenue generators for large companies. ABC/ESPN/Disney are primarily in the entertainment industry. General Eletric makes billions off their hundreds of subsidiaries and selling large turbine generators to companies like Boeing.

Apparently, you forgot that the NBA is an entertainment business and they show games on television. Next time GE's building an engine on national TV, be sure to give me a call. Because last time I remembered, they were losing millions of dollars on both NBC and the NBC/Universal deal. I guess selling billions of light bulbs at a 400% Gross Profit per bulb doesn't help their bottom line.

Again, my point has nothing to do with sheer buying power, but willingness to spend it on televising NBA games - next time you're in the GE board meeting, be sure to pass along their entertainment budget for 2007, since I'm sure they like losing money filing YouTube lawsuits, producing failed shows, and having to shell out money to Gary Bettman.

[Extra Stout]

Worst deal ever - ABC/ESPN have Disney's money to throw at the league and (well, I don't want to sound like a bigot here, but bear with me) when you put that kind of green in front of a Jew (Stern), there's no way NBC had a shot.
Yeah, it's exactly like when you put a sheep in front of an Aggie.

[Extra Stout]

Then again, this is David Stern we're talking about here and he thought it was a good idea to introduce a new basketball despite the complaints of his players (his greatest commodity by the way),
He's going to make another attempt at a synthetic ball. He can't penetrate the Indian market as long as the ball is cow leather.

[genghisrex]

kluby? Is that you?