https://sportsbusinessjournal.com/Journal/Issues/2022/02/28/Upfront/Ratings-and-Research.aspx Even with all injuries and turmoil in the franchise, Portland still ranks 8th in league in local television ratings. And this is with most people not having access to Root Sports.
there's way too many unknowns on how that number was calculated to make too much of this. I know no one in Denver can actually get the games so that rating makes sense. With accessibility not normalized, this number doesn't actually mean what they're trying to convey.
It has nothing to do with Blazers Broadcasting or Blazers management. Both are living within the confines of the TV system the NBA has set up/negotiated with sports broadcasters. THERE’S the problem. What an imbecilic way to structure your deals so that customers who want to watch your product and are willing to pay for it are denied the ability to do so. I’m currently living in Arizona and subscribe to League Pass. I couldn’t watch the game last night because it was being broadcast by TNT. I don’t have cable, satellite, or a streaming platform for live sports right now and won’t for the rest of this season because, well, tanking is not pretty. In any event, it’s always about the Benjamins. How difficult would it be to structure the deal so that the pricing of League Pass provides for a pass through of funds to TNT when there’s overlap?
It would be very hard. WarnerMedia owns a lot of other channels that are included in any package that they allow to have TNT... big time channels like CNN, TBS and many others. So they make the tv providers, be it cable, streaming or satellite package those channels together... that's why there's no a la carte TV platforms because big companies like Disney, Warner, Universal and Viacom aren't going to let it happen. So TNT gets such high ratings on their NBA broadcasts that they don't need the few that don't have a TV package with them on it or a little extra money from the NBA for them to be able to broadcast their games on League Pass because it ruins their racket and someone who needs TNT for just one thing then doesn't have to pay for TBS, CNN, etc.
The Sonic situation is entirely different from what is or what would ever happen in Portland. The number one being is the Moda is been excellently maintained and improved since it was built. The big factor in the Sonics moving was the shit arena and no money to improve it. The second is Portland's only competition for the sports dollar are the Timbers. Sonics had NFL and MLB. 3rd, the NBA is looking to expand. The owners make no money off of Portland moving. The owners do make big money from expansion fees. Keeping a long successful Portland in the NBA helps future expansion of the league considering that the areas that are being looked at for expansion are Seattle, Las Vegas, and Vancouver BC.
Sure, I get that’s the TV side of the equation. The NBA doesn’t have to agree to play that way. I know that the allure of big money TV deals is very enticing, but I have to think that there are ways that they could force the issue. Cable and satellite have maybe a five year window of viability before 5G makes them obsolete.
Right but the programming providers still won't be obsolete that's why the streamers offer basically the same packages as the cable and satellite companies always have... no one is getting it a la carte and these super companies like Comcast/Universal and Disney don't give a shit about just the NBA... sure they pay billions of dollars to be able to broadcast sports but they are the bigger entities than the leagues they are making deals with. Honestly the only thing that all of these streamers have done by caving in and buying up packages of channels from these giant media companies (not that they had much of a choice) is insuring that the model carries on despite the advancements in tech.
Its not different because the lease on Moda is almost up and if someone buys the team with an intent to move (Clay Bennet lol), the team will move. You will be surprised just how quickly a stadium will be deemed unusable for whatever reasons. Lets also not pretend like the association actually likes Portland. You would think a beloved partner would get a all-star game ONCE. Keep telling yourselves otherwise. The league doesn't give a fuck about Portland other than keeping the revenue stream going.
Blazers own Moda. The lease agreement with the city is for the parking. Portland didn't have the hotel space for an all star game. We do now, so we have about a 3-5 year window to get one before the convention center hotel goes BK.
I was in Vegas over the weekend after a Golden Knights hockey came out, damn, it was a fucking PARTY out in the Park MGM area outside of the arena.
Sly, as a staff member, you are still pushing the not enough hotel rooms narrative that was forever used? Must be on the Blazer payroll.
Only explanation is that the NBA does indeed NOT care about Portland as a market. Its not like any other league has put on a highly successful all star game in the city...
