La Nba ha firmato nuovi ricchissimi contratti di cessione dei diritti televisivi. Gli accordi con la Disney (Espn e Abc) e Turner (TNT) decorrono dalla stagione 2016-2017 fino al 2024-2025: secondo il New York Times, porteranno nelle casse della National Basketball Association circa 2,5 miliardi di dollari all'anno. Secondo l'accordo ancora in vigore, Disney sborsa 485 milioni a stagione, mentre Turner ne spende 445.
Con il prossimo contratto, le cifre saranno piu' che raddoppiate. Parallelamente, la Nba alzera' in maniera sensibile il salary cap, il monte ingaggi delle franchigie: «Ci sara' un sostanziale incremento», ha detto Adam Silver, commissioner della lega. L'estate 2016 si annuncia a dir poco interessante, per quanto riguarda il mercato. Tra meno di 2 anni, in particolare, Kevin Durant può svincolarsi dagli Oklahoma City Thunder e ascoltare le ricchissime proposte di altri team. Nel 2016 scade l'intesa biennale da 42 milioni di dollari che LeBron James ha da poco siglato con i Cleveland Cavaliers: il 'Prescelto', appena tornato nella squadra con cui ha iniziato la carriera professionistica, non ha intenzione di lasciare nuovamente l'Ohio. Potra', però, firmare un nuovo, pesantissimo contratto.
Il nuovo schema dei diritti tv prevede che le emittenti trasmettano piu' partite a livello nazionale (100 per Abc/Espn e 64 per Tnt). Il network Abc continuera' a trasmettere in esclusiva le Finals, mentre insieme a Espn offrira' nel complesso fino a 44 partite dei playoff, comprese le finali di Conference. A Espn resteranno il drat, la draft combine e la lottery che definisce l'ordine in base al quale le franchigie scelgono i giocatori. Tnt avra' in esclusiva 45 match nei primi 2 turni della postseason e le sfide delle semifinali di Conference. In ogni stagione, poi, potra' trasmettere una finale di Conference. «La Nba non e' mai stata piu' popolare e continua a crescere sotto la guida di Adam», ha detto John Skipper, presidente di Espn, evidenziando i meriti dell'attuale commissioner.
ENGLISH VERSION
NBA EXTENDS PARTNERSHIPS WITH THE WALT DISNEY COMPANY AND TURNER BROADCASTING SYSTEM THROUGH 2024-25 SEASON
The National Basketball Association (NBA) has expanded its partnerships with Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. and The Walt Disney Company through new, nine-year agreements under which ABC, TNT, and ESPN will televise NBA games beginning with the 2016-17 season and running through the 2024-25 season.
The agreements were announced today by NBA Commissioner Adam Silver; Washington Wizards owner Ted Leonsis, chairman of the NBA’s Media Committee; Turner Broadcasting System President David Levy; and ESPN President and Disney Media Networks Co-Chairman John Skipper. The NBA’s current eight-year deals with ABC/ESPN and TNT expire at the end of the 2015-16 season.
Under the agreements, the partners will televise more national regular-season games (ABC/ESPN: 100; Turner: 64) and will continue to do so generally on Wednesdays (ESPN), Thursdays (TNT), Fridays (ESPN), and Sundays (ABC/ESPN). By the end of these new agreements, the NBA’s partnership will reach 41 years with Turner, while the league’s relationship with ABC/ESPN will extend to 23 years. Additionally, NBA TV’s Sunday, Monday, Tuesday and Saturday game telecasts will continue to fill out the schedule, ensuring a full week of nationally televised games. The NBA’s 24-hour network will present over 100 regular-season games each year.
The NBA and Turner will also continue their groundbreaking partnership to manage jointly the NBA’s digital assets including NBA TV, NBA.com, NBA Mobile, NBA LEAGUE PASS, and WNBA.com, which Turner operates out of its Atlanta production facility. TNT will also debut the first-ever NBA Awards Show, an annual event which will air at the end of the season, and will have expanded activation opportunities surrounding key NBA pillars such as Opening Night and NBA All-Star Week.
Under the agreement, ESPN will be granted enhanced digital rights to provide NBA content for multiple ESPN platforms, including ESPN.com and WatchESPN.
The parties have also established a framework for ESPN and the NBA to negotiate the launch of a new over-the-top offering in which the league would receive an equity interest. Details for the new offering will be announced at a future date.
Under a new deal with the WNBA, games will continue to be televised on ABC and ESPN/ESPN2 through the 2025 season. ESPN also will have enhanced in-progress highlight rights for the WNBA on digital and linear platforms. Beginning with the 2016-17 season, for the first time, at least 20 NBA Development League games and NBA Summer League games will be seen on the ESPN television networks.
Turner Sports will have enhanced content/digital rights to NBA content for multiple TNT platforms including Bleacher Report; interactive online elements such as selected camera angles, statistic feeds and video to complement TNT’s telecasts; and broadband and other content for digital platforms, including highlights and studio shows. This includes the opportunity to develop and distribute new NBA content and programming for Bleacher Report, as well as rights to highlights for incorporation into the brand’s popular team and topic-centric Team Stream Now video offerings.
“The Walt Disney Company and Turner Broadcasting share responsibility for the growing popularity and interest the NBA enjoys, and we are thrilled to extend our partnerships,” said Silver. “With these new agreements, our fans will continue to benefit from the outstanding NBA coverage and programming provided by ABC, ESPN, TNT, NBA TV and their digital platforms.”
"These nine-year extensions with Disney and Turner recognize the extraordinary value of live premium sports," said Leonsis. "On behalf of our Media Committee and the other team owners, we thank Disney and Turner for their commitment to the NBA and its fans."
TURNER BROADCASTING SYSTEM, INC.
TNT will televise 64 regular-season games in primetime on an exclusive basis, an increase from 52 regular-season games televised during the current agreement. TNT will also offer exclusive presentation of Opening Night, the All-Star Game and All-Star Saturday Night. The 12 additional games will be televised during the second half of the regular season on another night of the week than the network’s traditional Thursday Night doubleheaders. TNT will televise up to 45 playoff games during the first two rounds and will have exclusive coverage of the conference semifinals games it telecasts and one of the conference finals each year. Turner’s multimedia platforms will have the ability to stream TNT-televised games, highlights, and non-game programming on a live, delayed and on-demand basis. Additionally, Turner will maintain TV Everywhere rights that allow for all NBA content airing across Turner Broadcasting networks to be streamed live, delayed and on-demand across the company’s multiple digital platforms.
“This is a significant deal for our company and we are pleased to continue our long-standing partnership with the NBA, its fans, owners and players,” said Levy. “The agreement locks in some of the most valuable, original, premium live sports programming that we’ll continue to monetize across TNT and all other platforms within our extensive portfolio and will help further grow our businesses into the next decade.”
THE WALT DISNEY COMPANY
ABC will continue to televise up to 15 regular-season games on an exclusive basis, beginning on Christmas Day and continuing on Sunday afternoons starting in January, with the ability to move a few Sunday games to ESPN. The postseason will feature the entire best-of-seven NBA Finals in primetime on ABC. ESPN and ESPN2 will televise up to 85 regular-season games primarily on Wednesday and Friday nights, an increase from 70 regular-season games under the current agreement. ABC, ESPN and ESPN2 will also televise up to 30 playoff games in the first two rounds, while ESPN will feature exclusive coverage of the conference semifinals games it televises and one of the conference finals each year. The network will also have exclusive coverage of the NBA Draft and NBA Draft Lottery each season. ESPN will have the rights to stream its games and provide additional NBA content on a live, delayed and on-demand basis across all of its multimedia platforms, including ESPN.com, and WatchESPN. ESPN Audio will remain the national broadcast home of the NBA and feature an increased package of games, including regular-season and playoffs.
”The NBA has never been more popular globally and it continues to grow under Adam’s leadership,” said Skipper. “By acquiring significantly more NBA content on both existing and yet-to-be created platforms, we will establish a vibrant year-round relationship with the NBA and bolster what is already the sports industry’s most impressive and impactful collection of media rights.”
NBA DIGITAL
The NBA will continue its ground-breaking partnership with Turner for NBA Digital through which the companies manage jointly the NBA’s digital assets including NBA TV, NBA.com, NBA Mobile, NBA LEAGUE PASS, and WNBA.com. Launched prior to the 2008-09 season, the partnership will run through the 2024-25 season.
NBA TV will present over 100 regular-season games, an increase from 96 regular-season games, and up to nine postseason games. Currently available in 60 million homes, the network has had record viewership as part of NBA Digital.
TNT
- 64 regular-season games per year, up from a current 52 games
- Exclusive presentations of Opening Night and Martin Luther King, Jr. Day games
- Up to 45 playoff games during the first two rounds with exclusive presentations of conference semifinals games and one full conference finals series
- Exclusive presentations of the NBA All-Star Game and All-Star Saturday Night events
- Telecast of a first-ever, end-of-the-season annual NBA Awards Show
- Continuation of the Emmy award-winning “Inside the NBA” studio show
- TV Everywhere rights that allow for NBA content airing across Turner Broadcasting networks to be streamed live, delayed and on-demand across its digital platforms
- Digital media rights, including streaming TNT NBA games on a live, delayed and on-demand basis across all of its multimedia platforms
- Broader rights to distribute, via digital platforms, its NBA games and non-game programming, as well as new NBA-related content, on a live and on-demand basis
- Interactive online elements such as selected camera angles, statistic feeds and video to complement TNT’s game telecasts
- Enhanced content/digital rights to NBA content for Bleacher Report
- Exclusive broadband and other content for digital platforms, including studio shows
- Expanded event activation surrounding key NBA pillars such as Opening Night and playoffs
ABC
- 15 regular-season games on ABC beginning on Christmas and continuing on Sunday afternoons starting in January with the ability to move a few Sunday games to ESPN
- Exclusive regular-season, playoff and Finals broadcast coverage
- Best-of-seven Finals broadcast in primetime
ESPN
- 85 regular-season games primarily on Wednesday and Friday nights, up from 70 games
- 30 playoff games in the first two rounds, with exclusive coverage presentations of conference semifinals games and one full conference finals series
- Exclusive presentations of the NBA Draft and NBA Draft Lottery
- Up to 20 NBA Summer League games on ESPN and ESPN2
- Extension of WNBA media agreement through the 2025 season
- Presentation of NBA Development League games on ESPN networks and digital platforms
- Framework for ESPN and the NBA to negotiate the launch of a new over-the-top offering with the league receiving an equity interest
- Enhanced digital media rights to deliver NBA content for ESPN platforms, including ESPN.com, WatchESPN and ESPN podcasts
- Increased ESPN Audio game package including NBA Finals, playoffs and regular season
- Spanish-language rights for ESPN Audio
- Significantly more exclusive regular-season games, playoff games and NBA-focused programming on ESPN platforms in Latin America, Pacific Rim and the Caribbean
- Opportunities to stream ABC, ESPN, and ESPN2 games on a live, delayed and on-demand basis across all of its multimedia platforms
NBA TV
- NBA and Turner to continue to manage jointly the NBA’s digital assets, which include NBA TV, NBA.com, NBA LEAGUE PASS, and the NBA Game Time app
- Over 100 regular-season games on NBA TV on Sundays, Mondays, Tuesdays, and Saturdays, an increase from a current 96 games, and as many as nine playoff games on NBA TV
- Enhanced package of digital media opportunities
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