Tencent Drops 76ers Broadcasts In Protest Against Daryl Morey

Chinese streaming service Tencent "has stopped live broadcasts of games" featuring the 76ers in an "apparent protest" of the team's new President of Basketball Operations Daryl Morey, who created controversy by voicing support for Hong Kong protesters last year while with the Rockets, according to the AFP. Tencent "has been offering text updates only for Sixers games as well as those involving" the Rockets. It also "refused to screen Rockets games last season" after Morey's tweet. State broadcaster CCTV, which "holds China's exclusive TV rights for the NBA, has not aired any games since the season opened" on Dec. 22. The latest move by Tencent "extends a year-long stand-off in the NBA's biggest international market that has cost it hundreds of millions of dollars" (AFP, 12/29). Meanwhile, in Philadelphia, Keith Pompey reports Morey was fined $50,000 by the NBA for a since-deleted tweet about Rockets G James Harden that violated the league's anti-tampering rules (PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER, 12/29).