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Clippers' Ballmer Dishes On Viewing Tech, Fan Experience, Ideas For Possible New Arena

Clippers Owner Steve Ballmer last week appeared on "The Bill Simmons Podcast" and discussed a number of issues surrounding the team and NBA. Ballmer said he is "excited about what you can do with software over the internet to transform" the NBA experience for fans not in the arena. Ballmer said he wants to "see the game the way Chris Paul sees the game." Ballmer said, "The key to me is getting some innovation going. Just streaming our games, which you can do on Fox Sports Go , ... probably is not value added." On keeping opposing teams' fans out of Staples Center, something Ballmer indicated he wants to do, Ballmer said he is going to "look at what they do in soccer in Europe." Ballmer: "You’ve got to pay a club membership and then buy a ticket. And you know you can join the club and not buy season tickets. ... I’m not sure we’re gonna do it. Not saying anything, but I’m looking and thinking this stuff through, particularly if we’re going to do a new arena." Ballmer: "How many Warrior fans living in L.A. are gonna want to join the Clipper club first?" Meanwhile, Ballmer said there are "multiple ways" to think about a new Clippers arena. Ballmer noted the Kings' Golden 1 Center has "a lot of open bar stand around space which is gonna give you a different basketball-watching experience." At the Warriors' Oracle Arena and Trail Blazers' Moda Center, Ballmer said " everything’s tight, boom boom boom. It’s pulsing, and it’s partly because you don’t have a lot of these sit-around, chatty areas." Ballmer admitted Staples Center is "very tough" for basketball games with a capacity over 20,000. Ballmer: "It’s hard to do certain things. ... You could have a lot smaller 19,000-seat arena than you have today. Or you could say 18,000 and still get plenty of affordable seats" (THERINGER.com, 3/17).

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