In an interview conducted prior to Game 3 of the NBA Finals, and published today by the Sports Business Journal, NBA Commissioner David Stern spoke on the state of his league, the record-low NBA Finals ratings and the upcoming TV deal with Disney and Turner.
Here are some excerpts:
Stern: Number one, both games [Games 1 and 2] have been blowouts, so I wouldn?t try to sell them as classic contests. In some ways the games got the ratings they deserved.
SBJ: Were you surprised that ?The Sopranos? finale attracted far more viewers than Game 2 of the Finals?
Stern: It did and it didn?t. [?The Sopranos?] was on for one hour. We are a three-hour programming block and we carried the night against all competition, as we usually do. We did for Game 1, too, and increasingly that?s the key. We?d like our ratings to be higher, but whenever our games are on, we win the night against the appropriate demographics. But we see the landscape and we see where the stunting is. We brace for it, but it doesn?t mean we accept it. We think that if we had a couple of better games, we would have better ratings.
SBJ: The league?s new television deal is getting close to completion. What will be different in terms of the structure of the new deal?
Stern: What is getting close is June 21, which is the date I boldly announced we would announce the deal and I?m still sticking to it. I spent the day locked in a hotel room with a phone glued to my ear with lawyers representing all parties involved. The NBA is going to remain a staple of live prime-time network television, TiVo-proof programming, and it is going to remain a staple for its Finals, playoffs and late-afternoon time slot on ABC. We are trying very hard to bring it all to bear.
SBJ: You started the year with the issue over the composite ball, then came the Carmelo Anthony suspension followed by the all-star controversy in Las Vegas. After that was the Amare Stoudemire playoff suspension and finally the Finals ratings. But at the same time, you had another record gate. Sum up the state of the league as you head into the offseason.
Other topics discussed surrounded city/arena issues in Seattle and New Orleans, as well as talk of the proposed NBA China venture.
See also: “Stern on the ratings.”
