NBA TV is a television
specialty channel that is
dedicated to showcasing the sport of basketball in the United States
. The network is financially backed by the
National Basketball
Association (NBA), which also uses NBA TV as a way of
advertising their
Pay Per View
programming, and
TNT.
Early years
Started in
1999 as nba.com tv, the channel, which had its
studios at NBA Entertainment in
Secaucus, New
Jersey
, began a multi-year deal with American television
companies Cox Communications,
Cablevision, and Time Warner on June 28, 2003, allowing the
network to expand to 45 million American homes, and 30 different
countries. NBA TV replaced
Time
Warner's
CNN/SI on many
cable systems after that network shut down a year earlier.
Programming
NBA TV offers basketball news every day, as well as programming
showcasing basketball players' individual lifestyles, life as a
basketball team during an NBA season, famous games of the past, and
live games typically four days a week during the NBA season. Live
games on NBA TV are subject to local blackout restrictions, since
NBA TV does not have exclusive broadcast rights to any of its
games. Games carried by NBA TV are always also carried by each
team's local rights holder.
The
channel also shows international games, typically on Saturday
evenings, with special emphasis on the Euroleague and the Maccabi Tel Aviv team from Israel
. In
April 2005, the channel televised the
Chinese Basketball
Association finals for the first time.NBA TV carries at least
90 regular-season games per season, all broadcast in high
definition, as well as some first-round playoff games. It also
broadcasts
WNBA games
nationally (subject to local blackout).
The channel's flagship program is
NBA Gametime Live, a show in which a
host and studio analysts go over the latest news, highlights, and
look in at games in progress. The show is live six days a week, not
airing on most Thursdays due to NBA's coverage of
The NBA on TNT. An edited one
hour/thirty minute version of the broadcast is repeated throughout
the late night/early morning hours.
NBA TV shows
Personalities
The studio host and analysts vary every night on NBA Gametime
Live.
Studio hosts
Studio analysts
Ownership
On October 8, 2007, it was reported that
Turner Sports, a division of
Time Warner, was to take over the channel's
operations, according to
Hoopsworld:"NBATV: Surprisingly there has been little
said about the NBA's decision to sell off NBATV to one of its media
partners. Talks had gone on for as ESPN/ABC and Turner both
explored scenarios with the league. Ultimately it seems Turner has
won out, and will take over operation of the league's flagship
cable channel, that reaches some 12 million subscribers. The exact
changeover date is not clear, but several months ago a Bloomberg
report cited sources saying senior level producers were offered
contract buyouts in September."
Turner Sports relaunched the channel on
October 28,
2008, using
analysts carried over from
NBA on TNT.
The studio was also upgraded, and the show now airs live from Studio B at Turner Studios in Atlanta, Georgia
; Studio B is adjacent to Studio J, home of Inside the NBA.
International presence
In 2001,
Raptors NBA TV begin airing in
Canada
. Although quite similar to NBA TV, there is
a larger focus on the
Toronto
Raptors basketball team, due to
Canadian content requirements and
restrictions on foreign ownership (the channel is owned by Raptors
parent company
Maple Leaf Sports &
Entertainment, not the league).
As of 2008, NBA TV coverage can be seen in 40 countries via the
following partners:
NBA TV HD
NBA TV HD is a
1080i high definition simulcast of NBA
TV. All studio programs and original shows are shot in HD, and all
live games and recent game rebroadcasts are shown in HD. For
programs not available in HD (such as older game footage), unique
stylized
pillarboxes are used, the NBA logo with "NBA TV" under it, or
alternately, just "NBA TV" sideways. Both are in black and
gray
New carriage agreements
On April 16, 2009, it was announced that
DirecTV and the NBA reached a new carriage
agreement. NBA TV was moved from the satellite television
provider's add on Sports Pack (and premium subscription package
NBA League Pass) to its lower priced
base package Choice Xtra on October 1, 2009. DirecTV believes the
move will make the channel available to an additional 8 million
subscribers.
On June 4, 2009, it was announced that the NBA and
Comcast have reached a deal to move the channel from
the cable company's add on Sports Entertainment Package to its
basic level Digital Classic package, by the start of the 2009-10
NBA season. Comcast believes an additional 8 million customers will
now have access to the channel.
Verizon FiOS added the channel and
NBA League Pass for the first time
on September 23, 2009.
The channel also signed new multiyear agreements with
Time Warner,
Cablevision, and
Dish
Network on October 22, 2009. They also reached a new deal with
Cox Cable earlier this year.
With all of the above carriage deals, the NBA believes it will now
reach 45 million viewers.
See also
References
- NBA.com Chinese Basketball Association Coverage Expands to
U.S
- Brent Barry joins NBA TV's studio analyst
crew
- Multichannel News April 16, 2009 NBA TV Scores
Multiyear Distribution Deal With DirecTV - Pact Gives Network Berth
On DBS Leader's Choice Xtra Package
- Multichannel News June 4, 2009 NBA TV Jumps To
Broader Comcast Carriage - Pro Hoops Network Moves From Sports Tier
To MSO's Digital Classic
- TVWeek.com September 23, 2009 NBA Digital Signs
Deal with FiOS for NBA TV and NBA League Pass
- Broadcasting and Cable October 22, 2009 NBA TV
Secures New Agreements with TWC, Cablevision and Dish -
League-owned network to reach 45 million homes this season
External links
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