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Bodenheimer Preparing In
Case Of NBA Lockout |
The NBA looked as healthy as ever in N.Y. last week, as the Celtics and Heat came to town to battle the Knicks. ESPN carried both games, producing Friday night's Heat game in 3D. Staff Writer John Ourand caught up with ESPN/ABC Sports President George Bodenheimer at ABC Studios in between the two games last week to discuss the health of the league.
Q: How are you preparing ESPN in the event of work stoppages in both the NFL and NBA?
Bodenheimer: Needless to say, those are beyond our control. Obviously, we hope they get them resolved. We'll have our programming plan thought through if we have to get into that world, and I have no doubt that we'll be able to program ourselves effectively in the event of stoppages.
Q: You've been through this before.
Bodenheimer: Yeah. And we've got a lot of arrows in the quiver. We have a lot of talent, a lot of opportunities and a lot of programming. We'll be OK. I'm not painting it as a positive. We don't want to see that at all. But if it should occur, ESPN will deal with it effectively.
Q: How interested do you continue to be in picking up Olympics and NHL rights?
Bodenheimer: They're both world class properties. We remain very interested in both of them. We are affiliated with both entities in our businesses outside the United States. The opportunity to expand our relationship with them in the United States is very interesting to us.
Q: Has the NBA ever been stronger for you?
Bodenheimer: The NBA has a lot of buzz. We're in the middle of a great season. Ratings are up 30% year-to-date. We have five games on Christmas. It's a tent-pole day for the NBA, ABC and ESPN. The timing is good.
