Day: April 22, 2024

As part of their new media rights negotiations, the NBA is considering a different way of handling games on a local level. Today, consumers must have a cable or streaming package that includes the channel their local team plays on. The NBA is considering a model where individual games, or season-long packages, can be purchased by fans. This would allow fans to avoid paying for content they don’t want.

The league is also going to consider ways to redirect fans from social media highlights to streaming full games. There could be direct-purchase links for a game that are made available to fans who click on a highlight from a game in progress.

The WNBA is also a factor in the new media rights deals the NBA is negotiating. Interest in women’s basketball is at an all-time high. The league is seeking to capitalize by upgrading the return for the WNBA portion of their television rights. The NBA sees the WNBA as part of their year-long basketball product that is made available to viewers.

The NBA is reportedly seeking contracts as long as 10 years as they negotiate new media rights deals. The league’s exclusive negotiating window with Disney/ESPN and Turner/TNT expires on Monday night. That will allow the NBA to begin conversations with streaming services such as Amazon, Apple, YouTube or a potential network partner like NBC.

The NBA will have at least three separate packages of games available, but could create a fourth package. There is also a chance that a streaming service could host playoff games, including conference finals, and potentially even NBA Finals games.

The NBA announced the finalists for 2023-24 Most Valuable Player. The finalists are Luka Doncic of the Dallas Mavericks, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of the Oklahoma City Thunder and Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets.

Jokic is a two-time MVP, having been honored for the 2020-21 and 2021-22 seasons. Jokic was the MVP runner-up to Joel Embiid for the 2022-23 season.

This is the first time Doncic or Gilgeous-Alexander have been finalists for MVP.

The NBA announced the finalists for 2023-24 Rookie of the Year. The finalists are Chet Holmgren of the Oklahoma City Thunder, Brandon Miller of the Charlotte Hornets and Victor Wembanyama of the San Antonio Spurs.

Holmgren was drafted at the 2022 NBA Draft, but missed the entire 2022-23 due to a foot injury. Under NBA rules, any player who hasn’t appeared in an NBA game is considered a rookie. Holmgren was named Western Conference Rookie of the Month in November and December.

Wembanyama was selected first overall by the Spurs at the 2023 NBA Draft. Wembanyama won the Western Conference Rookie of the Month award in January, February and March.

Miller was drafted second overall by the Hornets at the 2023 NBA Draft. Miller won Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month in January, February and March.

The NBA announced the finalists for 2023-24 Defensive Player of the Year. The finalists are Bam Adebayo of the Miami Heat, Rudy Gobert of the Minnesota Timberwolves and rookie Victor Wembanyama of the San Antonio Spurs.

Gobert is a three-time winner of the Defensive Player of the Year. He took home the award in 2017-18, 2018-19 and 2020-21 while playing for the Utah Jazz.

Adebayo is a first-time finalist. Wembanyama is also a finalist for 2023-24 Rookie of the Year.