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NBA TV
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NBA TV is a specialty television network that is dedicated to showcasing the sport of basketball in the United States. The network is financially backed by the National Basketball Association (NBA), which also uses NBA TV as a way of advertising their Pay Per View programming, and Turner Network Television. Like The Golf Channel, Tennis Channel, NHL Network, NFL Network, MLB Network, and, during the 1980s, The Boxing Channel, NBA TV dedicates all of its programming to the sport it showcases.
ted in 1999 as nba.com tv, the channel, which had its studios at NBA Entertainment in Secaucus, New Jersey, began a multi-year deal with American television companies Cox Communications, Cablevision, and Time Warner on June 28, 2003, allowing the network to expand to 45 million American homes, and 30 different countries.
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Encyclopedia
NBA TV is a specialty television network that is dedicated to showcasing the sport of basketball in the United States. The network is financially backed by the National Basketball Association (NBA), which also uses NBA TV as a way of advertising their Pay Per View programming, and Turner Network Television. Like The Golf Channel, Tennis Channel, NHL Network, NFL Network, MLB Network, and, during the 1980s, The Boxing Channel, NBA TV dedicates all of its programming to the sport it showcases.
Early years
Started in 1999 as nba.com tv, the channel, which had its studios at NBA Entertainment in Secaucus, New Jersey, began a multi-year deal with American television companies Cox Communications, Cablevision, and Time Warner on June 28, 2003, allowing the network to expand to 45 million American homes, and 30 different countries. NBA TV replaced Time Warner's CNN/SI on many cable systems after that network shut down a year earlier.
Programming
NBA TV offers basketball news every day, as well as programming showcasing basketball players' individual lifestyles, life as a basketball team during an NBA season, famous games of the past, and, mostly four days a week during the NBA season (occasionally 5, 6, or even 7 days a week, but no less than four days a week). Live games on NBA TV are subject to local blackout restrictions, since NBA TV does not have exclusive broadcast rights like other national broadcasters ESPN, ABC, and TNT. Games carried by NBA TV are always also carried by each team's local rights holder.
The channel also shows international games, typically on Saturday evenings, with special emphasis on the Euroleague and the Maccabi Tel Aviv team from Israel. In April 2005, the channel televised the Chinese Basketball Association finals for the first time.
NBA TV had 90 regular-season games on their schedule for the 2007-08 NBA season, about half of which were also available in high definition. NBA TV also broadcasts WNBA games nationally (with contractual restrictions), along with ESPN2.
The channel has also broadcast some first-round playoff games (contractual restrictions apply).
NBA TV shows
- NBA Access with Ahmad Rashad
- Basketball International
- FIBA World Basketball
- NBA Action
- NBA Gametime Live
- NBA TV Fantasy Hoops
- NBA TV Hardwood Classics/Greatest Games
- NBA TV News in Review
- NBA Stories
- NBA Vault
- The Run
- This Week in the D-League
- NBA 360
- NBA Roundtable
Personalities
NBA TV broadcasters include Andre Aldridge, Eric Snow, Rick Kamla, Ernie Johnson, Kenny Smith, Steve Smith, Gary Payton, Chris Webber, Cheryl Miller, Ahmad Rashad, Charles Barkley, Antonio Davis, Eddie Jordan, Sam Mitchell, Bernard King, Marc Fein, Reggie Theus, Mike Fratello, LaPhonso Ellis, and Derrick Coleman.
Ownership
On October 8, 2007, it was reported that Turner Sports, a division of Time Warner, was to take over the channel's operations, according to
:
"NBATV: Surprisingly there has been little said about the NBA's decision to sell off NBATV to one of its media partners. Talks had gone on for as ESPN/ABC and Turner both explored scenarios with the league. Ultimately it seems Turner has won out, and will take over operation of the league's flagship cable channel, that reaches some 12 million subscribers. The exact changeover date is not clear, but several months ago a Bloomberg report cited sources saying senior level producers were offered contract buyouts in September."
Turner Sports relaunched the channel on October 28, 2008, using analysts carried over from NBA on TNT.
The studio was also upgraded, and the show now airs live from Studio B at Turner Studios in Atlanta, Georgia; Studio B is adjacent to Studio J, home of Inside the NBA.
International presence
In 2001, Raptors NBA TV begin airing in Canada. Although quite similar to NBA TV, there is a larger focus on the Toronto Raptors basketball team, due to Canadian content requirements and restrictions on foreign ownership (the channel is owned by Raptors parent company Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment, not the league).
In 2004, NBA TV began to be seen in Venezuela. Hungry to see American basketball players in action, many Venezuelans asked for the channel, and President Hugo Chávez obliged. Venezuelans receive the NBA TV signal on Saturday nights, and Chávez allows for one recorded game to be shown, although he has chosen two sports broadcasters to do the game's coverage, and he advised them to speak well about his presidential campaign during the transmissions of these recorded games.
As of 2008, NBA TV coverage can be seen in 40 countries via the following partners:
NBA TV HD
NBA TV HD is a 1080i high definition simulcast of NBA TV. All studio programs are shot in HD, and all live games and recent game rebroadcasts are shown in HD. For programs not available in HD (mostly older game footage), unique stylized pillarboxes are used, the NBA logo with "NBA TV" under it.
See also
External links
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