NBA TV is a television specialty channel 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 out of market package NBA League Pass, and partner channel TNT.
History
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.
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
Hoopsworld:
"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.
New carriage agreements
On April 16, 2009, it was announced that
DirecTV and the NBA reached a new carriage agreement. NBA TV was moved from the satellite television provider's add on Sports Pack (and premium subscription package
NBA League Pass) to its lower priced base package Choice Xtra on October 1, 2009. DirecTV believes the move will make the channel available to an additional 8 million subscribers.
On June 4, 2009, it was announced that the NBA and Comcast have reached a deal to move the channel from the cable company's add on Sports Entertainment Package to its basic level Digital Classic package, by the start of the 2009-10 NBA season. Comcast believes an additional 8 million customers will now have access to the channel.
Verizon FiOS added the channel and NBA League Pass for the first time on September 23, 2009.
The channel also signed new multiyear agreements with Time Warner Cable, Cablevision, and Dish Network on October 22, 2009. They also reached a new deal with Cox Cable earlier this year.
AT&T; Uverse reached a carriage deal and added the channel in SD and HD for the first time on October 29, 2010.
Criticism
NBA TV has been criticized for its usage of local announcers during the
playoffs (NBA TV would merely pick up a feed that's otherwise broadcast to a local audience via
regional sports networks).
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 live games typically four days a week during the NBA season. Live games on NBA TV are subject to local blackout restrictions, since NBA TV does not have exclusive broadcast rights to any of its games. 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 carries at least 90 regular-season games per season, all broadcast in high definition, as well as some first-round playoff games. It also broadcasts WNBA games nationally (subject to local blackout).
The channel's flagship program is NBA Gametime Live, a show in which a host and studio analysts go over the latest news, highlights, and look in at games in progress. The show is live six days a week, not airing on most Thursdays due to NBA's coverage of The NBA on TNT. An edited one hour/thirty minute version of the broadcast is repeated throughout the late night/early morning hours.
NBA TV shows
Basketball International
FIBA World Basketball
Making the Call with Ronnie Nunn
NBA Action
NBA Gametime Live
NBA.com Fantasy Insider
NBA Roundtable
NBA TV Hardwood Classics/Greatest Games
NBA D-League Central
One on One with Ahmad Rashād
Real NBA
The Beat
The Jump on NBA.com
24 Hours
NBA TV HD
NBA TV HD is a
1080i high definition simulcast of NBA TV. All studio programs and original shows are shot in HD, and all live games and recent game rebroadcasts are shown in HD. For programs not available in HD (such as older game footage), unique
stylized pillarboxes are used, the NBA logo with "NBA TV" under it, or alternatively, just "NBA TV" sideways. Both are in black and gray.
Personalities
The studio host and analysts vary every night on
NBA Gametime Live.
Studio hosts
Rick Kamla (2002–present)
Ernie Johnson (2008–present)
Ahmad Rashad (2006–present)
Marc Fein (2008–present)
Bob Fiscella (2009–present)
Matt Winer (2010–present)
Larry Smith (2010–present)
Kyle Montgomery (2009–present)
Vince Cellini (2010–present)
Beau Estes (2010–present)
Studio analysts
Brent Barry (2009–present)
Kenny Smith (2008–present)
Chris Webber (2008–present)
Steve Smith (2008–present)
Cheryl Miller (2008–present)
Charles Barkley (2008–present)
David Aldridge (2008–present)
Antonio Davis (2008–present)
Bernard King (2008–present)
Mike Fratello (2008–present)
Dennis Scott (2009–present)
Derrick Coleman (2009–present)
Scot Pollard (2009–present)
Syleys Roberts (2010–present)
Rick Fox (2010–present)
Greg Anthony (2010–present)
Jerry Stackhouse (2010–present)
Brevin Knight (2011–present)
Rick Mahorn (2011–present)
Contributors
Lang Whitaker
Scoop Jackson
Ronnie Nunn
Dr. Phil McDonald
Sekou Smith
Former hosts and analysts
Andre Aldridge (2005–2009)
Gary Payton (2008–2009)
Eddie Jordan (2008–2009)
Reggie Theus (2008–2009)
LaPhonso Ellis (2009)
Sam Mitchell (2008–2010)
Lawrence Frank (2010)
Matt Harpring (2010)
Eric Snow (2008–2010)
Kevin McHale (2009–2011)
International presence
As of 2010, NBA TV coverage can be seen in 40 countries via the following partners:
Hong Kong Cable (Hong Kong)
now TV(Hong Kong)
Orbit Satellite Television and Radio Network (Pan-Middle East)
CanalSatellite (France)
Basketball TV (Philippines)
Cignal Digital TV (Philippines)
NTV (Turkey)
NTV Plus (Russia)
Sport+ (Greece)
Sportitalia (Italy)
Cablevisión (Argentina)
ZON Multimédia (Portugal)
StarHub TV (Singapore)
Broadcasts in Canada as a Canadian version of the channel, NBA TV Canada
See also
List of current National Basketball Association broadcasters
References
External links
Official NBA TV website
NBA TV HD schedules
Category:English-language television stations in the United States
Category:Television channels and stations established in 1999
Category:National Basketball Association on television
Category:Sports television networks in the United States
