With scripted television still months away from returning to normal, the NBA will get some additional exposure on ABC this season.
ABC will carry an NBA regular season game on all five Wednesday nights in January, it was announced Monday, with each of those games flexed from ESPN. The Wednesday night slate will begin with Bulls-Knicks on January 3, followed Pelicans-Warriors on January 10, Mavericks-Lakers on January 17, Thunder-Spurs on January 24 and Suns-Nets on January 31. Each game is scheduled to begin at 8:30 PM ET. [Related: NBA TV schedule.]
ESPN, which was originally set to air doubleheaders on each of those five nights, will now instead carry a single game. The ABC and ESPN games will overlap each week, akin to the networks’ overlapping Monday Night Football doubleheaders. Unlike ABC’s usual Saturday and Sunday NBA coverage, the Wednesday night windows will coexist with local RSN coverage in the participating markets (except in Chicago, where the Bulls-Knicks game will be exclusive to ABC.)
Due to strikes by Hollywood writers and actors, ABC has no scripted shows on its schedule for the fall season. (While the writers strike ended last week, the actors strike is still ongoing.) The network has previously added 10 additional Monday Night Football simulcasts.
The increased presence of sports on ABC comes at an uncertain time for the network and its parent company. Disney CEO Bob Iger has repeatedly signaled the company’s willingness to part ways with its linear channels, ESPN excluded, and ABC has already attracted the interest of media executive Byron Allen, the local station giant Nexstar and private equity companies.
With the addition of the Wednesday night games, ABC is now scheduled to carry 23 NBA telecasts during the upcoming season — the most NBA games on broadcast television since NBC last held rights in the 2001-02 season. According to multiple reports, the NBA is seeking more games on broadcast in its next media rights deal. ESPN and Turner’s exclusive negotiating window opens early next year.
(News from NBA)
