What Network Has The Nba Finals?

Wondering what network has the NBA Finals this year? Check out our blog post to find out!

Introduction

The NBA Finals are the annual championship series of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The Eastern and Western conference champions play a best-of-seven game series to determine the league champion. The winning team of the series receives the Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy.

ABC

History with the NBA

The NBA Finals is the championship round of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The eastern and western conference champions play a best-of-seven game series to determine the league champion. The winning team of the series receives the Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy, which was named in honor of former NBA commissioner Larry O’Brien. The home-and-away format in the NBA Finals is in a 2–2–1–1–1 format (the team with the better regular season record plays on its home court in Games 1, 2, 5 and 7), meaning that one team will have home court advantage in games 1, 2, 5 and 7, while the other plays at home only in games 3, 4 and 6.

The very first Finals was played in 1947 between the Philadelphia Warriors and the Chicago Stags (both now defunct), but every Finals since 1950 has been played between two teams from either the Eastern or Western Conference. Most of those series have been played between two teams from the same division (e.g. rivalries like Lakers vs. Celtics, Knicks vs. Bulls), but occasionally a divisional matchup occurs outside of those aforementioned classic rivalries (e.g. Pistons vs. Spurs in 2005).

Why they lost the rights

In 2003, the NBA signed a six-year, $4.6 billion television contract with ABC and ESPN. The deal was remarkable for a number of reasons. First, it committed ABC to televising every game of the NBA Finals live (something that had not been done on a consistent basis before), and second, itparamounted that all games be shown in high-definition television format.

The contract was also notable because it represented a shift in how networks televised live sports events. Traditionally, networks would purchase the rights to broadcast games but then allow local affiliates to determine when and how to show them. For example, an affiliate in New York City might choose to air a different game than one in Los Angeles. But the new ABC/ESPN contract stipulated that all games be shown nationally on either ABC or ESPN, regardless of market.

The thinking behind the deal was that by making the NBA more accessible to viewers across the country, the league’s popularity would increase, leading to higher ratings and more advertising revenue.

Unfortunately for ABC and ESPN, this plan did not come to fruition. In the first year of the contract, ratings for NBA games declined sharply, falling by 20% on ABC and by 8% on ESPN. The decline continued in subsequent years, such that by 2007 ratings were down 35% from where they had been prior to the new contract.

One reason for the decline was that fans felt alienated by the ubiquity of NBA broadcasts; with every game being shown nationally, there was less incentive to watch any particular game. Additionally, many fans felt that too much emphasis had been placed on superstar players such as LeBron James and Kobe Bryant at the expense of lesser-known players; as a result, casual fans found it harder to follow the league. Finally, many experts believe that the quality of play declined during this period as teams focused on increasing scoring at the expense of defense and teamwork; this made for less compelling television

ESPN

The 2020 NBA Finals will air on ABC, marking the 21st consecutive year that the network has televised the NBA Finals. The 2020 NBA Finals will begin on Thursday, September 24, and will conclude no later than Sunday, October 11, 2020. ESPN will televise the 2020 NBA Finals.

History with the NBA

ESPN has been the home of the NBA Finals since 2003, when ABC – which had broadcast the Finals since 1985 – decided to focus on regular-season games and limit its playoff coverage to Saturday and Sunday afternoons. The move left The Finals without a broadcaster on weeknights, so ABC approached ESPN about televising the championship series.

ESPN had been televising NBA games since its launch in 1979, but mostly on a tape-delay basis late at night. The network had never broadcast live NBA games during prime time, so there was some skepticism about whether ESPN could succeed with The Finals. But the ratings for the 2003 Finals – which featured the San Antonio Spurs and New Jersey Nets – were strong, and ESPN has been televising The Finals ever since.

In 2010, ABC and ESPN extended their rights deal with the NBA through 2025. The agreement includes exclusive coverage of The Finals on ABC through 2024. Beginning in 2016, ESPN will also televise one Conference Final each year.

Why they have the rights

ESPN has the rights to broadcast the NBA Finals because they are part of the NBA TV contract. The NBA TV contract is a deal between the NBA and Turner Broadcasting System, which is owned by Time Warner. ESPN is part of the Turner Broadcasting System, so they have the rights to broadcast the Finals.

TNT

The NBA Finals is the annual championship series of the National Basketball Association. The Eastern and Western conference champions play a best-of-seven game series to determine the league champion. The winning team of the NBA Finals receives the Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy. TNT has broadcast rights to the NBA Finals.

History with the NBA

The TNT network has been televising NBA games since 1988. In that time, they have become one of the most well-known and respected sources for live basketball action. TNT is part of the Turner Broadcasting System, which also includes TBS and CNN.

TNT’s broadcasts are known for their high quality, with Emmy-winning announcers and analysts providing in-depth commentary on the games. The network also offers pre-game and post-game shows, giving viewers even more insight into the action on the court.

Over the years, TNT has built up a large fan base among basketball fans, and their broadcast of the NBA Finals is one of the most anticipated events of the year. This year’s Finals will be no different, as fans tune in to see which team will be crowned champion.

Why they have the rights

TNT has had the rights to airs the NBA Finals since 1988. The network pays a hefty fee for the rights – around $930 million per year, according to Front Office Sports. That’s nearly double what ABC/ESPN pays for the regular season and playoffs.

But TNT isn’t complaining. The network has seen a ratings boom in recent years thanks to the popularity of the NBA. Last year’s Finals between the Golden State Warriors and Toronto Raptors averaged 20 million viewers, making it the most-watched NBA game in four years.

The reason TNT is willing to pay so much is simple: live sports are some of the most valuable programming on television. People are more likely to watch live sporting events than almost anything else. And that means they’re also more likely to see commercials during those games. That makes TNT’s investment in the NBA Finals worthwhile, even if it means paying a lot of money for the rights.

Conclusion

From answer above, it is seen that the ABC network has the television rights to broadcast the NBA Finals in the United States.