BOSTON — NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said Thursday that finalizing the NBA's next media rights deal is an incredibly complicated task, especially because no one knows for sure what the viewing landscape will be in the future.
Silver, during his annual press conference before the NBA Finals, gave no hints about when the next set of deals might be completed, other than to say it would be “relatively soon.” Current deals with ABC-ESPN and Turner Sports end next season, and the NBA is in talks with other networks and platforms, including NBC, ESPN and Amazon, about future plans.
“It's complicated for a couple of reasons,” Silver said. “One is the emergence of new platforms, especially streaming, and interest from streaming companies and traditional media companies to distribute our games on their streaming platforms. It's complicated because in many cases you have multiple partners that want similar assets, and you have to figure out the right way to balance those games as you hand them off to different partners.”
The network and other parties involved in the process expect the new contract could total more than $70 billion over 11 years, which would shatter existing benchmarks for both contract value and length — the current contract is nine years and totals $24 billion.
“We tend to do long-term deals,” Silver said, “and I think that's good for the stability of the league. But to some extent you're trying to predict the future, which of course you can't do. Part of it is a bet on the partners that we end up working with and their ability to adapt with the times, their willingness to continue to invest in media and to go global, which is very important to the league.”
The biggest unknown is whether Turner will stay involved in the NBA or not once his new contract is signed.
Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav sounded an ominous note when he said “we won't have to broadcast the NBA” once Turner's current deal with WBD expires in late 2022. If WBD isn't included in the next deal, one of the most noticeable changes for fans could be the end of the wildly popular “Inside the NBA,” a show featuring former NBA stars Charles Barkley, Shaquille O'Neal and Kenny Smith.
“That show in particular is special,” Silver said.
If a deal gets done, whether that's within days, weeks or months, it would pave the way for the next major item on the NBA's to-do list: expansion.
Silver has made his top priorities clear over the past few seasons: maintaining labor peace (achieved with a new collective bargaining agreement) and reaching a new media contract (under negotiation), after which the league will likely look to add a new franchise at some point.
“Looking at expansion doesn't mean we're going to announce we're ready to add teams,” Silver said. “It means there will be a committee of the NBA Board of Governors that will focus on that. … I'm actually looking forward to it. I don't think it's been decided in advance as a league that we're going to expand this time, but I know there's been a tremendous amount of interest.”
Other topics covered by Silver:
Caitlin Clark
Silver didn't offer an opinion on the hard foul that Indiana Fever rookie Caitlin Clark received. Chicago Sky guard Chennedy Carter A play that was scrutinized last weekend in countless ways, by countless stakeholders.
“As a fan, it's obviously not uncommon in basketball to have a moment where you're welcomed into the league, especially for a high-profile rookie,” Silver said. “But of course, I hope that Kaitlyn is treated fairly and appropriately in the league. She seems like she can take care of herself. She's a tough player.”
Silver called Clark “an incredible talent” and said the attention she brings is good for the sport, but noted that growing a fanbase for women's soccer is nothing new. He also said that any discussion of the attention Clark generates and how it's being received can't ignore “there are bigger societal issues around race.”
“Sports has historically been a platform for people to discuss these issues directly,” Silver said. “I don't think we should hide from them, and I think athletes are happy to talk about these issues.”
Tanking
Silver said he believes the $750,000 fine the NBA imposed on the Dallas Mavericks last season was appropriate after a brief investigation found the team committed “conduct detrimental to the league” by missing most of its key players for its April 7, 2023 game against the Chicago Bulls.
Though the Mavericks still had a chance to make the playoffs, the NBA said it believed the team made roster decisions that night “to enhance the possibility of retaining a first-round pick in the 2023 NBA Draft.” That pick was Derek Lively II, who played a key role in the Mavericks' run to the NBA Finals.
“As far as what Dallas did last year, we punished them. We did what we thought was appropriate at the time,” Silver said. “Their success this season and the success they're seeing now in the playoffs and now in the Finals, I don't think it's because of any draft pick, no matter how important they were to the team.”
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