Is the NBA Owned by Disney?
We investigate whether the NBA is owned by Disney, and what that might mean for the future of the league.
Introduction
The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America. The league is composed of 30 teams, 29 in the United States and one in Canada. The NBA is widely considered to be the premier men’s professional basketball league in the world.
The league was founded on June 6, 1946, as the Basketball Association of America (BAA). It changed its name to the National Basketball Association on August 3, 1949, after merging with the National Basketball League (NBL). The NBA’s regular season runs from October to April, with each team playing 82 games. Its playoff system culminates in the NBA Finals, a best-of-seven championship series between the eastern and western conference champions.
History of the NBA
The National Basketball Association (NBA) is an American professional basketball league. It was founded in 1946 as the Basketball Association of America (BAA). The league adopted its current name at the start of the 1949–50 season when it merged with the National Basketball League (NBL). The league consists of 30 teams, of which 29 are located in the United States and 1 in Canada.
The NBA Today
The NBA has been a league on the rise for the past few years. With the influx of young talent, the league has seen a resurgence in popularity. The league has also benefited from an increase in global interest. But, one of the questions that has been asked is if the NBA is owned by Disney.
The NBA’s Relationship with Disney
The NBA has a close relationship with The Walt Disney Company, owner of ESPN. In fact, many people believe that the NBA is owned by Disney. While this is not technically true, the two companies have been closely linked for many years.
Disney first became involved with the NBA in 1996, when they purchased a minority stake in the league. In 2003, they increased their investment, becoming the largest shareholder in the NBA. ESPN has been the official broadcast partner of the NBA since 2002, and ABC has televised the NBA Finals since 1999.
In 2012, the two companies extended their partnership through 2025. Under the terms of the deal, ESPN pays $1.4 billion per year to broadcast NBA games, and ABC pays an additional $300 million per year to air the NBA Finals. The deal also includes a number of other benefits for Disney, including exclusive rights to create and sell officially licensed NBA merchandise.
So while Disney does not technically own the NBA, their close relationship gives them a great deal of influence over the league.
Conclusion
No, the NBA is not currently owned by Disney. However, Disney does own a minority stake in the league. In addition, ABC – which is owned by Disney – airs NBA games.
