James Devaney. Getty Images.SOURCES — New York Knicks owner James Dolan continued to criticize the NBA's revenue-sharing policy, slamming the league office's potential 8% cut of a new $74.6 billion media deal and national broadcast and streaming packages that make the league's regional sports networks “unviable,” according to a letter shared with the NBA's Board of Governors and obtained by ESPN on Monday.
“As the NBA moves toward the NFL model, it is marginalizing and weakening local markets,” Dolan said in the letter. “For the foreseeable future, your only revenue concerns will be ticket sales and next year's uniform color. Don't worry, because by pooling revenues, there is no guarantee of success or failure.”
“The inclusion of streaming partners (Amazon Prime Video, Peacock, etc.) in this proposal would allow fans in all NBA markets to watch select games in their local market without going through an RSN. This proposal does not provide local protection for RSNs.”
Why is James Dolan so upset about a TV deal worth $76 billion to the NBA? Because James Dolan owns the cable channel MSG Sports, and we all know James Dolan wouldn't be too happy about it if it didn't directly benefit him. I'm sure other NBA owners are reading this letter and cringing at the same time.
Sports is full of terrible owners, but it's nice to be able to claim that James Dolan is one of the worst. Sure, he had an obsession with the incompetent Isaiah Thomas, and his constant meddling made the Knicks the laughing stock of the NBA for almost a generation. But that's not the only bad example of him. Let's not forget that Dolan was also convicted of firing Thomas out of spite for a woman who filed a sexual harassment lawsuit against him.
Dolan attacked season ticket holders and banned “Sell the Team” signs at MSG. He's been so bad for so long that it's easy to forget just how bad he is. The Knicks are finally putting together a really good team, but every Knicks fan knows they're living in the sports version of a haunted house, and they'd be dead in an instant if Dolan were to sneak up and destroy another team. There's a huge amount of fear lurking behind the confidence of any new Knicks fan. Dolan is always lurking.
Andrew Toth. Getty Images.So why is this vindictive, petty, pathetic man so angry about the TV/streaming deal? Because it levels the playing field. The Oklahoma City Thunder and Indiana Pacers are not going to get the same local TV revenue as the Knicks, and that's even more so when Dolan owns the cable network that shows those games.
But these big NBA contracts distribute the money evenly among the 30 teams. The Pacers make just as much from this contract as the Knicks. With more games going to a national audience instead of a local one, local cable channels make less money. Does this allow more viewers to watch the games? Sure, but you're missing the bigger picture. Jimmy Dolan makes less money!
In Dolan's defense, he may not have earned the money, but he inherited it. I don't think this is much of a defense. Hmm. He bought Wiz Electronics, but it went out of business quickly and lost about $250 million. Hmm, he owns Sphere! That's awesome!
James Dolan is a mean guy who only thinks about himself. He's also incredibly rich, despite trying his hardest. He plays crappy music with his band and will own the Knicks as much as he wants. In the end, he wins.
But you know what's in store for the rest of us?
We are not James Dolan.
