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The ball is in the NBA’s court, so to speak.
After days of reports about the future of the NBA on TV, weeks of speculation around the potential end of TNT’s relationship with the league (plus the dissolution of its award-winning studio show), and months of negotiations with multiple media conglomerates, the NBA Finals tipped off Thursday night without a firm public timeline for when deals might be announced.
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“No one likes this uncertainty,” NBA commissioner Adam Silver said during a pregame press conference, pointing out in particular the awkward limbo employees at TNT parent Warner Bros. Discovery, up to and including the cast of Inside the NBA, have been dealing with as their careers potentially hang in the balance. “It’s on the league office to bring these negotiations to a head and conclude them as quickly as we can.”
As it stands, ESPN is expected to retain the top package, including NBA Finals rights, with NBC and Amazon seen as likely returning and new partners, respectively, for the league. But how Warner Bros. Discovery fits into that equation remains uncertain. One reported issue centers around the matching rights WBD could attempt to use to retain a package. Silver declined to comment on the specifics of how that language could come into play.
Of course, once the ink is dry, there’s more work to be done. Silver reaffirmed that the league plans to explore expansion possibilities as soon as its new media agreements are in place.
“I’m actually very excited about turning to that process,” Silver said of expansion. He even hinted at the possibility of adding a franchise outside the U.S.—the NBA has now played 14 regular season games in Mexico City—though he added that “this may not be the right moment to do that.” Instead, those around the league anticipate Seattle and Las Vegas being frontrunners for the 31st and 32nd NBA teams.
International play was top of mind for Silver, who mentioned in his opening remarks that the Dallas Mavericks and Boston Celtics boasted a combined Finals record 13 players born outside the U.S. If the Mavericks pull off an upset…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/adam-silver-sorry-lengthy-nba-010254355.html
Author : Sportico
Publish date : 2024-06-07 01:02:54
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