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NBA Commissioner Adam Silver says finalizing the new media rights deals is 'complex' process

BOSTON (AP) 鈥 Getting the NBA's next round of media rights deals completed is an extremely complex proposition, Commissioner Adam Silver said Thursday, especially because nobody can say with any certainty what the viewing landscape will look like in
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NBA Commissioner Adam Silver talks to reporters before Game 1 of basketball's NBA Finals between the Boston Celtics and the Dallas Mavericks, Thursday, June 6, 2024, in Boston. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

BOSTON (AP) 鈥 Getting the NBA's next round of media rights deals completed is an extremely complex proposition, Commissioner Adam Silver said Thursday, especially because nobody can say with any certainty what the viewing landscape will look like in the future.

Silver, speaking in his annual pre-NBA Finals news conference, did not offer any hints on when the next series of deals will be completed, other than saying 鈥渋n the relative near term.鈥 The current deals with ABC-ESPN and Turner Sports expire after next season and the NBA has been talking with NBC, ESPN and Amazon, among other networks and platforms, about what comes next.

鈥淚t鈥檚 complicated for several reasons," Silver said. "One is the advent of new platforms, particularly streaming and the interest of streaming companies and in the traditional media companies also carrying our games on streaming platforms. It鈥檚 complicated because with multiple partners, all seeking similar assets in many cases, you're just figuring out the right way to balance those games as they go to different partners.鈥

The expectations, from networks and others involved in the process, is that the new agreements will be for 11 years and could exceed $70 billion in total value. Those would smash the existing norms for both value and deal length; the current one is nine years, $24 billion.

鈥淲e tend to do long-term deals," Silver said. "We think that鈥檚 good for the stability of the league. But it means to a certain extent you鈥檙e trying to predict the future, which is of course impossible. Part of it is a bet on the partners that we'll ultimately align with and their ability also to adjust the times and their willingness to continue to invest in media and to become global, which is very important to the league as well.鈥

What remains most unclear is how, or if, Turner will remain involved with the NBA when the new deals get struck.

Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav sounded an ominous note in late 2022, saying that Turner and WBD 鈥渄on鈥檛 have to have the NBA鈥 once their current deal expires. If WBD is not part of the next deals, one of the most recognizable changes for fans could be the demise of the highly popular 鈥淚nside the NBA鈥 program featuring former NBA stars Charles Barkley, Shaquille O'Neal and Kenny Smith.

鈥淭hat show, in particular, is special.鈥 Silver said.

When the deals get done 鈥 whether it's in the coming days, weeks or even months 鈥 it would clear the way for the next major item on the NBA鈥檚 to-do list, that being expansion.

Silver has been very clear on the order of his top agenda items in recent seasons, those being preserving labor peace (which was achieved with the new Collective Bargaining Agreement) and getting a new media deal (talks ongoing). Then the league, at some point, will turn its attention toward adding new franchises.

鈥淏y turning to expansion, it doesn鈥檛 mean that we鈥檙e going to announce that now we鈥檙e ready to add teams," Silver said. "It means that there will be a committee of NBA governors that will focus on it. ... I actually am looking forward to that. I think the league, it鈥檚 not preordained that we will expand this time, but I know there鈥檚 an enormous amount of interest out there鈥

In other topics covered by Silver:

CAITLIN CLARK

Silver didn't opine on the hard foul that Indiana Fever rookie Caitlin Clark took from last weekend, a play that has been scrutinized in countless ways from countless parties.

鈥淎s a fan, obviously, it鈥檚 nothing new in basketball that there鈥檚 sort of welcome-to-the-league moments, especially for heralded rookies,鈥 Silver said. 鈥淏ut of course, I want to see Caitlin treated fairly and appropriately in the league. I would say, seems like she can take care of herself. She鈥檚 a tough player.鈥

Silver calls Clark 鈥渁n incredible talent鈥 and says all the attention she helps brings is good for the game 鈥 while noting that the growth of the fan base for the women's game didn't start just now, either. He also said it can't be ignored that there are 鈥渓arger societal issues at work ... some having to do with race" when discussing the attention Clark generates and how that is received.

"Sports, historically, has been a platform for people to talk directly about these issues," Silver said. 鈥淚 don't think we should hide from them, and I think the players are happy to engage about these issues.鈥

TANKING

Silver said he believed the $750,000 fine the NBA issued to the Dallas Mavericks was appropriate last season, after a brief investigation showed the team engaged in 鈥渃onduct detrimental to the league鈥 by sitting out most of its key players against the Chicago Bulls on April 7, 2023.

The Mavs still had a chance to reach the playoffs, but the NBA said the it believed the team made its roster decisions that night 鈥渋n order to improve the chances of keeping its first-round pick in the 2023 NBA Draft.鈥 That pick became Dereck Lively II, who has played a significant role for the Mavericks in their run to the NBA Finals.

鈥淚n terms of what Dallas did last year, we sanctioned them. We did what we thought was appropriate at the time,鈥 Silver said. 鈥淚 would only say that the success they saw this season, that they鈥檙e now seeing in the playoffs and here they are at the finals, I don鈥檛 attribute it to one draft pick 鈥 as important as that draft pick has been to their team.鈥

___

AP NBA:

Tim Reynolds, The Associated Press

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