If the Spurs are ratings poison, then how come

[whottt]

:

http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/b....28c27dd0.html


NBA hauls in richest contract

Jerry Garcia
Express-News Staff Writer

The NBA rebounded very well this week.



After the Finals posted the lowest TV ratings in their prime-time history, this week’s draft ushered in one of the strongest classes in recent history while the league extended its TV contract with its current partners until the 2015-16 season.

The new deals included extensive digital media rights giving the NBA its richest contract ever, estimated at $7.4 billion. Sources told the Associated Press and Mediaweek that the league will pocket $930 million a year, a 20 percent increase from the $767 million average the NBA currently receives from its TV partners.

The current contract with ABC/ESPN, TNT and NBA TV was a six-year deal for $4.6 billion that ends after the 2007-08 season.

The new eight-year deal (2008-09 to 2015-16) looked past the ratings trouble and to the future of digital rights. Current TV partners ABC/ESPN, TNT and NBA TV all use NBA content on their respective Web sites. While he never said digital rights were becoming more important that TV rights, NBA commissioner David Stern said digital media information tells him Web hits instead of TV ratings may be a better measurement of its fans.

“I go down to the basement and check our servers, and we get these extraordinary counts — in April, 30 million fans streamed NBA highlights,” he said. “Additional millions of fans were tuning in on Airplay and Amp in a wireless way. We have fans on video games and growing online and ultimately on their handheld devices.”

“Throughout the playoffs, we averaged over a million unique visitors to ESPN.com per day to get NBA content,” ESPN executive vice president of content John Skipper said. “We had 700,000 wireless visitors a day to get NBA content and 32 million video starts of NBA highlights on ESPN.com.”

In addition to the digital rights, TV-wise, what does $930 million a year buy you? Here’s the breakdown:

• National TV games all season: The NBA will have games available on a nationwide basis every day of the week during the regular season — Mondays, Tuesdays and Saturdays on NBA TV, Wednesdays and Fridays on ESPN/ESPN2, Thursdays on TNT and Sundays on ABC.

• ABC/ESPN: Both are owned by Disney, with ESPN being the primary outlet for games — remember ABC Sports ceased to exist last September when all sporting events on ABC became branded as “ESPN on ABC.”

Beginning with the 2008-09 season, a minimum of 30 games will be put on ABC. ABC will stick with the same regular season plan it’s currently using, showing 15 regular-season games starting Christmas Day and on Sunday afternoons beginning in January. The number of times one team can be featured in a national TV game goes up from five appearances to six. Come playoff time, ABC will showcase more early round games with a minimum of 15 playoff games and all of the Finals games.

ESPN/ESPN2 gets 75 regular-season games, mostly on Wednesdays and Friday, up to 29 playoff games with exclusive coverage of the conference semifinals and “showcasing” a conference finals series. ESPN also gets to show the NBA All-Star Celebrity Game, the NBA draft, the draft lottery and pre-draft camp coverage on ESPNU.

The new wrinkle comes from digital rights. All NBA content can be used across 17 platforms (including ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN Classic, ESPNU, ESPNEWS, ESPN Deportes, ESPN360.com, ESPN Mobile TV, ESPN Radio, ESPN.com, ESPN podcasts, ESPN International). ESPN gets permission to stream NBA games either live, tape-delayed or on-demand on all those platforms. The deal also lets ESPN use NBA content on any new media platform its enters into or creates until 2016.

• TNT: Like ESPN, TNT’s deal also includes extensive digital rights that will let it distribute NBA content on the Internet (TNT Overtime), wireless, broadband and video-on-demand platforms shortly after the original broadcast and fantasy games licenses.


Game-wise, TNT gets 52 regular-season games, including a doubleheader on the regular-season opening night and Thursday night doubleheaders; the NBA All-Star Game and All-Star Weekend events; and 52 playoff games with exclusive coverage of a conference finals series on an alternating basis each year with ESPN.

• NBA TV: The channel, owned by the league and Turner Sports, will pay a small fee for games, but the channel gets 96 regular-season games, up to nine playoff games and digital media rights. The new deal closely mirrors the deal it currently has in place.

Contracts used to be negotiated in four- to six-year increments. In a teleconference this week announcing the new contract, Stern stated the eight-year deal was reached because the network partners “are making such a substantial and long-term commitment,” and this deal is “simply the latest in a string of deals but will be flowed by subsequent deals” that will better support the investments they’re making “on a digital and global scale.”

Previous NBA TV Rights Deals

BROADCAST NETWORK

Seasons, Network ... Contracts

1953-54, DuMont ... $39,000/13 games

1954-55/1961-62, NBC ... N/A

1962-63/1972-73 , ABC ... N/A

1973-74/1975-76, CBS ... $27 million/3 years

1976-77/1977-78, CBS ... $21 million/2 years

1978-79/1981-82, CBS ... $74 million/4 years

1982-83/1985-86, CBS ... $91.9 million/4 years

1986-87/1989-90, CBS ... $173 million/4 years

1990-91/1993-94, NBC ... $601 million/4 years

1994-95/1997-98, NBC ... $892 million/4 years

1998-99/2001-02, NBC ... $1.616 billion/4 years

2003-03/07-08, ABC/ESPN ... $2.4 billion/6 years

CABLE NETWORKS

Seasons, Network ... Contracts

1979-80/81-82, USA ... $1.5 million/3 years

1982-83/83-84, USA/ESPN ... $11 million/2 years

1984-85/85-86, TBS ... $20 million/2 years

1986-87/1987-88, TBS ... $25 million/2 years

1988-89/89-90, TBS/TNT ... $50 million/2 years

1990-91/93-94, TNT ... $275 million/4 years

1994-95/97-98, TNT/TBS ... $397 million/4 years

1998-99/2001-02, TNT/TBS ... $840 million/4 years

2002-03/07-08, TNT ... $.2 billion/6 years

Source: NBA

[whottt]

That's over a 50% increase from the last deal people...one of the biggest price % gains ever between contracts....the 4th biggest ever in fact.


Exactly how are the Spurs hurting the NBA again? The TV deal(American and otherwise) is what it's all about...and the Spurs are a great live attendance draw, home and on the road.


I honestly wish ABC hadn't reupped...ABC sucks and their own intolerable broadcast team and production are the things hurting their ratings more than anything else.


I'm finding it hard to listen to Mark Jackson and all those other tools if the Spurs aren't playing...and I don't blame the fans of other teams for doing likewise.

[exstatic]

Wonder what this does to the cap figure next year when the deal begins? A 20% increase in TV/media revenues? Wow.

[MajicMan]

The Spurs are not boring in the basketball sense because they play beautiful basketball but to the general audience they are boring as . Are you in denial? It is what it is, be happy with winning.

[cherylsteele]

The Spurs are not boring in the basketball sense because they play beautiful basketball but to the general audience they are boring as . Are you in denial? It is what it is, be happy with winning.

I understand what you are saying but.....if the Spurs are so boring to the general viewer then why is ABC re-upping with an even bigger contract then before when they are perennial champs and are odds on favorite to be there for the near future?

[whottt]

The Spurs are not boring in the basketball sense because they play beautiful basketball but to the general audience they are boring as . Are you in denial? It is what it is, be happy with winning.

I think you should be more worried about getting your own team out of the toilet than about the Spurs...and if I want the opinion of a Lakerfan...I'll go to a re ward and get one.

[jag]

The Spurs are not boring in the basketball sense because they play beautiful basketball but to the general audience they are boring as . Are you in denial? It is what it is, be happy with winning.

I dont live anywhere near Spurs fans, so as much as i may get flamed by other spurs fans, I agree with you. And i am very happy with winning.

[MajicMan]

I think you should be more worried about getting your own team out of the toilet than about the Spurs...and if I want the opinion of a Lakerfan...I'll go to a re ward and get one.

Why are you being so defensive? You asked a en question and I answered it honesty. Last I checked, the board was open to everyone that followed the community guidelines. I check a lot of the boards because I'm a fan of basketball. Why ask a question if you can't handle the answer? I complimented the Spurs you stupid en tool bag but also gave an honest answer. Can you please refute what I had to say intelligently rather than name calling? Are you bright enough?

[MajicMan]

I understand what you are saying but.....if the Spurs are so boring to the general viewer then why is ABC re-upping with an even bigger contract then before when they are perennial champs and are odds on favorite to be there for the near future?

Maybe some type of ratings war with NBC? Oden and Durant entering the league? I can't tell you. I know ABC's coverage sucks and we're all going to suffer some more with their ty coverage. I don't think reupping has much to do with the Spurs honestly but but more so with going on about business as usual. My guess is good as yours.

[Flight3107]

Why are you being so defensive? You asked a en question and I answered it honesty. Last I checked, the board was open to everyone that followed the community guidelines. I check a lot of the boards because I'm a fan of basketball. Why ask a question if you can't handle the answer? I complimented the Spurs you stupid en tool bag but also gave an honest answer. Can you please refute what I had to say intelligently rather than name calling? Are you bright enough?

If Whottt does not like what someone says he starts to call names, then runs outside and hugs trees.

[SpursIndonesia]

It's quite obvious, that while the TV ratings of NBA games in USA is in downturn trend, the fans keep informed themself through internet.

And the league fortune in the international stage is just growing tremendously, fact that internet access is getting cheaper worldwide, and NBA league is basically the most marketed -and entertaining too- around the world.

I just got an internet access at home, an adsl one, this year, after the subscription fee was slashed to just a third of the previous rate earlier this year.

[whottt]

Why are you being so defensive?

Who is defensive?

You felt qualified and free to not answer my question and instead tell me how I should view my team, how the general public veiws my team, and how I should be spending my offseason and enjoying the current success of my team...you basically said, don't worry about it and be glad you won...I responded by telling you, don't worry about me or my team...worry about your own.

What you call defensiveness...I call a free exchange of ideas.

You asked a en question and I answered it honesty. Last I checked, the board was open to everyone that followed the community guidelines.

It is...you told me how to be a fan...I told you how to be one.

Why can't you handle that? To be quite honest...it makes me disrespect the rest of your opinon...

I check a lot of the boards because I'm a fan of basketball. Why ask a question if you can't handle the answer?

Because you didn't answer it...stupid. There are no stupid questions from me...only stupid people giving me suggestions on how to be a fan, and asking me why I am in denail about ratings, when I am asking why the TV deal was so big if the Spurs are hurting the NBA.

I complimented the Spurs you stupid en tool bag but also gave an honest answer. Can you please refute what I had to say intelligently rather than name calling? Are you bright enough?

Dip ...I didn't ask why the Spurs didn't draw ratings..now did I? I didn't ask for how the fan of a rival views my team...now did I? ANd I didn't ask how I should be spending my emotions during this era of the Spurs...now did I?


What did I ask?



I asked why the deal was so big if the are hurting the NBA because they are ratings poision...at which point you stupidly assumed I was making some sort of claim that the Spurs weren't ratings poision and was in denial about it.

Stupid.


Addionally...

You are LakerFan...you giving your opinion on this equivalent to a Nazi giving his opinion on the holocaust...I don't care how unbiased you think you are.

And furthermore...what ever point you were going to make about how the Spurs are boring...your ass was kicked the second you, a LAkerFan put finger to KB, on a Spurs board, in late June. Not only is it obvious that you aren't bored by the Spurs...it's equally obvious that you are not the avgerage NBA fan bored by the Spurs, and thus are unqualified to speak for them...as you presumed to do....not that I was asking why the Spurs draw bad ratings anyway...tool.

[Cant_Be_Faded]

ABC will bring about the downfall of the NBA in the year 2020.

[jag]

ABC will bring about the downfall of the NBA in the year 2020.

haha with all that being said, i stick to my original statement. The spurs have never been a team that played with much flair, so they arent going to pull a lot of bandwagon fans. That's not such a bad thing, look how the suns fans turned out.

[MajicMan]

Who is defensive?

You felt qualified and free to not answer my question and instead tell me how I should view my team, how the general public veiws my team, and how I should be spending my offseason and enjoying the current success of my team...you basically said, don't worry about it and be glad you won...I responded by telling you, don't worry about me or my team...worry about your own.

What you call defensiveness...I call a free exchange of ideas.







It is...you told me how to be a fan...I told you how to be one.

Why can't you handle that? To be quite honest...it makes me disrespect the rest of your opinon...



Because you didn't answer it...stupid. There are no stupid questions from me...only stupid people giving me suggestions on how to be a fan, and asking me why I am in denail about ratings, when I am asking why the TV deal was so big if the Spurs are hurting the NBA.




Dip ...I didn't ask why the Spurs didn't draw ratings..now did I? I didn't ask for how the fan of a rival views my team...now did I? ANd I didn't ask how I should be spending my emotions during this era of the Spurs...now did I?


What did I ask?



I asked why the deal was so big if the are hurting the NBA because they are ratings poision...at which point you stupidly assumed I was making some sort of claim that the Spurs weren't ratings poision and was in denial about it.

Stupid.


Addionally...

You are LakerFan...you giving your opinion on this equivalent to a Nazi giving his opinion on the holocaust...I don't care how unbiased you think you are.

And furthermore...what ever point you were going to make about how the Spurs are boring...your ass was kicked the second you, a LAkerFan put finger to KB, on a Spurs board, in late June. Not only is it obvious that you aren't bored by the Spurs...it's equally obvious that you are not the avgerage NBA fan bored by the Spurs, and thus are unqualified to speak for them...as you presumed to do....not that I was asking why the Spurs draw bad ratings anyway...tool.

[Johnny RIngo]

I'd rather be ratings poison than championship poison(Phoenix S0ns).

[BlackFlagg]

The Spurs are not boring

Thanks. We share the sentiment.

[CosmicCowboy]

Damn. TNT lost Tuesday night. I wonder if they can keep their team together just to cover 26 doubleheaders on Thursday...

ABC/ESPN coverage sucks. And now they get MORE of the finals instead of less...

So now instead of getting basketball coverage at halftime we will get baseball in the typical ESPN 10 second bursts.

[OldDirtMcGirt]

The same reason that hockey keeps making profits. The Spurs are not a television draw, and the ratings so as much. Not trying to knock them, but that's the sad truth. Small market teams that play a defensive style of basketball are not very exciting to casual fans.

[OldDirtMcGirt]

Damn. TNT lost Tuesday night. I wonder if they can keep their team together just to cover 26 doubleheaders on Thursday...

ABC/ESPN coverage sucks. And now they get MORE of the finals instead of less...

So now instead of getting basketball coverage at halftime we will get baseball in the typical ESPN 10 second bursts.

ESPN is good as long as they have Bill Walton covering their games. ABC is pure garbage, I'm pretty sure that 60% of the posters here could run a more insightful broadcast than Jon Barry.

[Bruno]

Wonder what this does to the cap figure next year when the deal begins?

The salary cap should raise by $2.7M because of this new deal.

[rascal]

Dip ...I didn't ask why the Spurs didn't draw ratings..now did I? I didn't ask for how the fan of a rival views my team...now did I? ANd I didn't ask how I should be spending my emotions during this era of the Spurs...now did I?


What did I ask?



I asked why the deal was so big if the are hurting the NBA because they are ratings poision...at which point you stupidly assumed I was making some sort of claim that the Spurs weren't ratings poision and was in denial about it.

Why did you ask why the deal was so big if the spurs were hurting the nba because they are ratings poison? There is a reference there that the spurs don't have any effect on the deal since the deal is a big one regardless of the bad ratings.

Reality is the spurs do not do well for ratings and the Cleveland matchup had very little interest around the country.

The nba deal has nothing to do with the spurs or this years bad ratings.
Its like owning a stock that briefly goes down but you expect it to do well in the long run.

[Xolotl]

Can somebody help me out....what does it mean by digital right is that to stream it on the internet or something?