Sports network NBA TV will
rely on original specials and series, acquired
movies and vintage games to fill in for live
National Basketball Association games lost
to the four-month league lockout.
The 50 million-subscriber outlet was
scheduled to offer 96 live regular-season NBA
games in the 2011-12 campaign, mostly from
weekly live games on Tuesday, Saturday, Sunday
and Monday nights.
With no end in sight for the nearly 150-day
lockout, the network is looking for alternative
programming to fill in, Christina Miller, general
manager of NBA Digital, said.
“We will continue to keep the long-term
strategy in mind, which is to deliver a broad mix
of basketball-related programming,” she said.
The Turner Sports-run network has acquired
basketball-related movies, including
Hoosiers and The Fish That Saved Pittsburgh,
and the documentaries Magic & Bird: A
Courtship of Rivals and The Wayman Tisdale
Story, to help fill the void left by the lockout,.
Last week, the network set the Nov. 22
start date for a six-part original series, Open
Court. The
weekly series
will feature
former
NBA players
and current
announcers
discussing
personal
stories, pressure
moments,
expertise
and thoughts on other NBA stars while showcasing
their unique and unforgettable memories,
network officials said.
The network also will dip into the NBA video
library for more vintage NBA regular season
and playoff games.
Next week, NBA TV will start airing live
games from the NBA Development League,
Miller said. It is scheduled to air 30 D-League
games, with the option to add more contests
if warranted. There also will be extensive live
coverage of the January D-League Showcase
round-robin tournament, involving all 16
league teams.
Miller also is exploring the possible addition
of Euroleague games.
Nothing can fully replace the appeal of
NBA games, and the network is already taking
a ratings hit. Through Nov. 13, NBA total
viewers are down 78% compared to the November
2010 numbers, and down 85% among
18-49 year old viewers.
