Basketball Is More Than Just A Game
Television money continues to slither into sports as the National Basketball Association recently signed a new television broadcasting deal upwards of $22.5 billion. Walt Disney Co’s ESPN and Time Warner Inc’s Turner Broadcasting System both renew their broadcasting agreement with the NBA, starting with the 2016-2017 season. This nine year deal will be more than double either annual payments to the NBA. This agreement emphasizes the significance of sports in the television industry. Even with the uprising of live streaming, recordings on DVRs, and streaming services like Netflix, this deal proves that live programming is still being recognized as a desired commodity. The elements of live sports programming is still very attractive to many viewers.
Basketball, like other sports, is evolving into a business. It’s not just an activity for people to stay healthy and fit but a source of entertainment for millions of people around the world and a business and occupation for hundreds. The athletes are benefiting most from this new deal. With a large source of revenue pouring into the NBA, the TV money will increase the salary cap of every team and significantly increase the maximum salaries of the players. Long gone are the days where basketball was played in order to avoid the poor weather and balls had to be poked out of a peach basket with a long dowel. Basketball is now more than just a game, it’s a lucrative multi-billion dollar business.
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