WarnerMedia’s Jeff Zucker wants the NBA to “exert influence” on teams over “load management,” further worsening that discussion
"I think that the league has some influence over teams, and I would like them to exert that influence."
Archives
Zach Lowe reportedly agrees to multi-year extension with ESPN
It looks like Lowe has again decided to stick with ESPN despite interest from other companies.
ESPN is reportedly negotiating a buyout with Michelle Beadle, and may wind up reducing NBA Countdown overall
In addition to Countdown personnel changes, the show may wind up being less prominent overall, with The Jump potentially replacing it ahead of Saturday games.
Stephen A. Smith is reportedly “in ESPN’s plans for NBA studio coverage this season”
Get ready for Stephen A. Smith to start appearing on studio coverage around some of ESPN's NBA games.
Stan Van Gundy is reportedly set to exit ESPN for Turner Sports
According to Andrew Marchand of The New York Post, Van Gundy may even wind up calling some top games for Turner.
Five takeaways from the 2019-2020 NBA national television schedule
This year's schedule features less Knicks, more Clippers and Pelicans, and earlier starts to many nationally-televised Western Conference games.
NBA Christmas Day games include new teams (Raptors, Clippers, Pelicans, and Nuggets), with Knicks, Thunder, Jazz, and Blazers dropped
The Knicks have played on Christmas Day 53 times, more than any other team, but they won't be doing so this year.
Andre Iguodala claims Mark Jackson was “absolutely” blackballed from NBA coaching after “conflicts” with openly-gay exec Rick Welts
"[Rick Welts] is gay, so there was conflicts with that that was widespread, everyone was talking about that. ..." "Do you think Mark Jackson was blackballed from the NBA?" "I do, yes."
With low U.S. market sizes and no LeBron, the NBA conference final matchups look pretty grim for TNT and ESPN
Last year's Golden State-Houston and Boston-Cleveland matchups paid big dividends for ESPN and TNT, but this year's Milwaukee-Toronto and Golden State-Portland matchups look weaker for U.S. TV.
NBA ratings are down 26 percent year-over-year on TNT, six percent on ESPN, and LeBron’s move west is a big reason why
It's been the early half of doubleheaders that's been hit particularly hard, and LeBron being in the West is a factor there.
On First Take, Stephen A. Smith says “I would love to see my man Marc Stein back,” “I wish he was still here”
"I am incredibly happy to have Adrian Wojnarowski with us, incredible insider, does a phenomenal job, but there's room for one more. I would love to see my man Marc Stein back."
ESPN2 will feature a Game 2 ECF second-screen offering with analysis from Woj, Jay Bilas, Cassidy Hubbarth, Mark Jones and others
Full Court Press will feature a split screen of the game with Woj, Bilas and others watching and offering analysis, alongside special stats and graphics.
Doris Burke: “There are a lot of 60-year-old men who have wrinkles, no hair, glasses, and nobody gives a damn.”
"I promise you I'm not having plastic surgery. I'm 52. I've earned every wrinkle on my face. I actually like my wrinkles. And guess what? There are a lotta 60-year-old men who have wrinkles, no hair, glasses, and nobody gives a damn. It's about time that a woman my age or above, if she chooses to go into her 60s as an announcer, she should be allowed to do just that."
NBA national ratings are on the rise, and the league’s attracting tons of hard-to-grab younger viewers
The NBA is up big year-over-year, and younger viewers are a key reason why.
Raptors’ Masai Ujiri says it’s a “bunch of BS” they aren’t on U.S. national TV more, but they’re on more often than 10...
"We don’t play as many of the so-called ESPN games, why is that? We’ve had one of the best records the last five years in the league so I don’t understand why the NBA does not give us, I think it’s a bunch of BS if you ask me, that they don’t give us more games."
