The NBA’s Spectacular Win
Live sports are in a weird place. Through a certain lens, sports look to be performing amazingly well. Stadiums are packed, and admission pricing is moving higher. The content has become a lifeline for cable and increasingly paid video streaming. And yet, through a different lens, there is reason to be worried about live sports’ future as younger generations have trouble connecting with the entertainment. The debate as to which scenario deserves more attention will continue. However, what has become increasingly clear is that the most popular sports leagues, like the National Basketball Association (NBA), are leveraging the current video landscape to extract massive pricing power. The NBA’s widely followed media rights auction is shaping up to be a resounding win for the league while the winning bidders are left facing big questions.
One way of describing NBA ratings: tough slog.
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