NBA Commissioners Predict More UK Games
Incoming NBA Commissioner Adam Silver believes that the league is likely to further its involvement in the UK market, which will continue to sit at the centre of its international growth.
Speaking ahead of tonight’s regular-season game between the Atlanta Hawks and Brooklyn Nets in front of a room full of industry executives at the Nolan Partners Sport Industry Breakfast Club hosted by BT Sport, the Deputy Commissioner told interviewer Mark Pougatch: ‘We continue to test the market. It’s a very sophisticated fanbase here and they know the difference between a friendly and a regular-season game, so we have two teams vying for play-off positions in the league. We know we’re going to have terrific competition tonight, which is ultimately what we sell. So over time, I think we will be bringing more games here.
‘Something that David has talked about for a few years is a potential division in Europe. Once we have in place a core infrastructure of arenas there’s an opportunity to potentially have one – we know the interest exists.’
Stern, who steps down as NBA Commissioner after 30 years next month, added that the evolution of The O2 Arena has also added to growth of sport in the UK.
Speaking about London, Stern said: ‘It’s a hub, and The O2 Arena has been an accelerator of the entertainment and sports industry here in London. Even though basketball is not up there in the UK with other sports, each time we come we sell out and there’s a buzz. Plus our business partners love coming to London, so it’s a terrific place for us to start.’
Check out the extended highlights of the event at Sport Industry TV.
The Commissioner also revealed that a reluctance from teams and players travelling abroad 20 years ago has been overcome in a process that has since been embraced: ‘Now our owners and teams say ‘When is our turn?’ It’s very exciting and, from a business perspective, we have 120 million television households in the US and the world has a hell of a lot more so that’s where we’re moving.’
The ongoing debate of the ’39th game’ was also discussed, with the idea of a Barclays Premier League match moving abroad disregarded up to now in the UK. However, Stern claimed that international expansion was a much simpler task for the NBA: ‘We have 41 home games, plus 4 friendlies, so we have a better inventory and actually our fans see it in a different way.
‘I guess football has always been more global in the make-up of its rosters. We’ve just gone through that transition and our fans get to be excited learning about other places through their team. In the early days people used to say to me ‘Isn’t it going to hurt your league if these “foreigners” come in and play? And the answer was always of course not, the question is: do they have game?’
One of the biggest legacies Stern is likely to leave from his 30 years at the helm is NBA Cares, the social responsibility aspect of NBA. Stern added: ‘The business of our business is not just business, it’s social responsibility, especially at a time when government is not up to the task, even here in the UK. When you have a cutback you take away the school pitches, shut down the gyms, and then there’s a fight between the Mayor and the Prime Minister about how many hours a week kids should be physically active. It was apparent to me decades ago that the whole subject of fitness, exercise and health was going to become a huge issue, and the influence athletes can have on kids.’
With Silver taking over the reigns on 1st February, Silver also looked to the future, and expects technology to have an ever-more increasing influence on fans.
‘It’s almost a misnomer to even use the word broadcast anymore. It’s a trend we’re seeing that with so many different platforms you can almost get anything you want at any time, and it’s raised the profile of live premium sports everywhere.
‘All the trends are positive for us because the interest in NBA basketball is continuing to grow, and having the ability (for international viewers) to view a primetime games as everything can be time-shifted. It’s raising the profile.’
‘Technology is our friend,’ added Stern.
Throughout 2014, the Nolan Partners Sport Industry Breakfast Club will continue to pair high-profile speakers with high-quality audiences to provide the UK sports market’s number one networking opportunity. For more information or to join the Club, click here.
