As it continues to push for a pre-December start, the NBA is reportedly telling its players that the league’s prodigious TV money could be at stake.
NBA players have been told by their union that the league is concerned its television partners may want to renegotiate their rights deals should the season not start by Christmas, as the league prefers, according to The Athletic.
The NBA is in the midst of nine-year media rights deals with Disney (ESPN/ABC) and AT&T (Turner Sports) that run through the 2024-25 season. Those deals are locked in so long as the NBA meets its contractual obligations.
It is not clear whether the networks have actually communicated a desire to renegotiate, but such a possibility could explain ESPN’s previous reporting that the league fears dire financial consequences if the playoffs have to compete with the Olympics. It is also not clear what specifically would trigger an opt-out.
There have been no indications yet that the networks have any less interest in sports media rights than prior to the wave of cancellations and postponements in March, or the subsequent run of industry-wide declines in viewership thereafter. Major League Baseball renewed its deal with Turner Sports over the summer and the NFL (and to a lesser extent NHL) are expected to generate increases in rights deals in their looming negotiations.
Per The Athletic, the players are expected to vote in the next 48 hours on either starting the season on December 22 or January 18 (Martin Luther King Day).
If the former, teams would play 72 games in a regular season that ends May 16, followed by a play-in tournament for the final playoff seeds. The playoffs would run from approximately May 22-July 22, ending one day before the Summer Olympics would start on July 23.
If the latter, teams would play either 60 or 72 games. In the 60-game format, the regular season would end in June and the playoffs would run from approximately June 28 through August 21-23. In that scenario, the NBA Finals could take place fully after the Olympics ends on August 8.
In the December 22 scenario, the league would set aside six days for an All-Star break in early March. In the 60-game January 18 scenario, that would be pushed to early April. It is not clear whether there would be an All-Star break in the 72-game January 18 scenario.
[News from The Athletic 11.3]
