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ARE TV PARTNERS CONCERNED ABOUT NBA CABLE NETWORK LAUNCH?

          The NBA will launch a 24-hour TV network on November 2
     called NBA.com TV, according to Scott Hettrick of the
     HOLLYWOOD REPORTER.  The channel, produced by NBAE, will
     feature studio-based live programming, live "look-ins" of
     games in progress, game highlights, vintage games, NBA
     videos and specials, basketball-related talk shows and
     basketball-themed movies.  The channel will also feature
     real-time stats, scores and news from NBA.com.  DirecTV will
     offer NBA.com TV "at no additional charge" to subscribers of
     its Total Choice Platinum, Total Choice Gold and NBA League
     Pass packages.  Viewer's Choice will offer the service to
     its digital cable subscribers (HOLLYWOOD REPORTER, 9/24). 
     NBA Commissioner David Stern said that "he's already getting
     carriage requests" for NBA.com TV "from digital-cable and
     satellite providers in Japan, Spain, the U.K. and Mexico." 
     Stern said that NBA.com TV "is going slow on advertisers" as
     the league "wants to get the channel up and running before
     pitching it to sponsors."  The "plan" is to keep NBA.com TV
     on the air year-round, focusing on WNBA news and off-season
     events during the NBA's hiatus (DAILY VARIETY, 9/24).  
          LOOKING INTO THE FUTURE: The WALL STREET JOURNAL's Sam
     Walker cites analysts as saying that by "packaging and
     producing its own on-air content," the NBA is "adding the
     kind of infrastructure it could some day use to challenge,
     or even circumvent, the TV networks and capture advertising
     revenue."  NBAE President Adam Silver said the net is
     designed to "supplement" coverage for the most ardent
     basketball fans and the NBA still "recognizes the value" of
     its broadcast and cable partners.  But analysts say that the
     NBA "may be hoping to use its new network to improve its
     leverage in future broadcast-rights negotiations with the
     big networks."  League officials "say privately that it's
     not likely they will continue to see" the type of increases
     it saw in TV rights fees during the last negotiations in
     '97.  With that in mind, Walker writes NBA.com TV could be
     "aimed at preparing the NBA for the possibility it may
     someday need to begin broadcasting its own games."  Paul
     Kagan Associates analyst John Mansell said it's "unlikely"
     NBA owners "would be willing to give away their comfortable
     network cushion anytime soon," and he estimates it would
     take "at least three years to line up enough local carriers
     and advertisers to make [NBA.com TV] profitable."  Start-up
     costs for the NBA.com TV "were less than" $10M, but Walker
     reports that the league has spent $100M building a studio
     complex in Secaucus, NJ (WALL STREET JOURNAL, 9/24).     
          PROMO LEAGUE PASS: NBA TV President Ed Desser said that
     one "of the key functions" for the network will be to market
     NBA League Pass. The channel will run live from 6:30pm or
     7:00pm ET each night games are scheduled (E. MEDIA, 9/24).  
      

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