NBA’s Silver Tackles Expansion, Streaming Future, and League Investigations
Adam Silver had plenty to say last week after meeting with NBA team owners. The commissioner covered everything from adding new teams to how you’ll watch games in the future.
Expansion remains on the table, with Las Vegas and Seattle still the frontrunners for new NBA franchises.
“The fact is there’s no new news to report today on domestic expansion, but it’s something we continue to look at,” Silver said.
The league has been studying the financial models more carefully now that they’ve locked in their new TV deals and player agreements.
But don’t expect anything to happen quickly.
European expansion is a whole different story. While intriguing, it comes with major hurdles. Clubs like Real Madrid and Olympiacos already have strong identities as part of bigger soccer organizations.
There’s also the challenge of making European teams fit with the NBA’s salary cap system.
Silver made it clear they’re looking at U.S. and European expansion as “two independent work streams” rather than an either/or situation.
Streaming Takes Center Stage
The NBA’s broadcast future is taking shape with ESPN, Amazon, and NBC sharing rights to games.
Silver seems particularly excited about streaming possibilities.
“We talked with them and among our owners on issues around streaming, the opportunities that present for our league over time to customize the telecast to do a better job engaging with our fans,” he said.
This could mean more personalized viewing experiences down the road.
But there’s a downside for fans. Watching every game might require subscriptions to Amazon Prime, Peacock, and ESPN services.
Regional sports networks, many of which have gone bankrupt lately, appear to be fading from the NBA’s plans. Silver mentioned more games are already heading back to local broadcast TV.
Leonard Investigation Continues
Silver also addressed the ongoing investigation into Kawhi Leonard’s reported $28 million endorsement deal with Aspiration. A New York law firm is handling the case.
“The burden is on the league if we’re going to discipline a team, an owner, a player or any constituent members of the league,” Silver explained.
He reminded everyone about his “very broad” powers, which include fines, suspensions, and taking away draft picks if rules were broken.
Silver pointed to the league’s competitive balance as a sign things are working well.
“From 2019 to now… seven different champions,” he noted, highlighting the NBA’s push for parity that’s giving more teams a shot at winning it all.
