NBA commissioner Adam Silver did a 30-minute chat with former Golden State Warriors executive Bob Myers on Tuesday. One of the topics of discussion was how many NBA teams are experiencing issues with their local TV provider/RSN. Silver went as far to say that the issue is his most significant focus right now.
"I … hate to make it so negative, but [local game broadcasts] are caught in legacy media, which is rapidly declining," Silver said. "And our young fans, in particular, we used to talk about cord-cutters; they’re really cord-nevers. It’s not part of their lives to buy cable… And so the local situation by definition will then get even worse."
Silver said the idea of creating custom packages, to give consumers what they want may be the future. The NBA commissioner added, "I actually think we’re undervaluing live sports right now and the specialness around it."
Silver also said that NBA expansion is "not a foregone conclusion" and that he wants to "plant flags all over the world" with global NBA initiatives.
