With the Kings' recent move to cable in Sacramento and
surrounding areas, only three NBA teams are without cable
packages -- the Pacers, Bucks and Clippers -- and that list could
soon shorten to two. According to the INDIANAPOLIS STAR, the
Pacers are reportedly working on deals with at least two cable
companies in the Indianapolis area to provide broadcasts of 20-30
games. Of the Pacers' 82 games, 30 are committed to WTTV-TV and
five to NBC. Cable could pick up as many as 30 of the remaining
games. However, with the Pacers reporting a $3.1M loss in '93-
94, a cable deal is not believed to be "the difference between
them making money and not making money," according to Patrick
Early, President of Indianapolis' Capital Improvement Board,
which operates Market Square Arena. Pacers Dir of Broadcasting
Larry Mago expects cable to provide "significant" revenue, but
should the team make deals with all cable companies within their
75-mile radius broadcast rights area at 15 cents monthly per
subscriber (the figure cited by several local cable execs), they
are only looking at $1M or more. In addition, the team is
negotiating on a share of revenues from ads sold during the
broadcasts. Local media buyer Diane Nichols-Hayde said a 30-
second spot during games on WTTV go for as much as $1,200, but
she had no estimate for how much those rates would be on cable
(Mary Francis, INDIANAPOLIS STAR, 9/26).
GROUP W EXPANDS ITS NBA FAMILY: Group W Sports Marketing
has signed a multi-year agreement with the Bucks to handle
national and local TV ad sales for all Bucks games, which are
carried on WVTV-TV in Milwaukee. WVTV will carry 35 regular
season games and playoff games. Production responsibilities will
also be handled by GWSM as part of the agreement (Group W Sports
Marketing).
