Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban thinking about a 'Mavericks Network' – NBA Update
Television moolah is a major component of the reason, David Stern and the league decided to close down the opening two weeks of the next regular NBA season.
There are some massive new television deals in prospect - Los Angeles Lakers have a hefty one in the line for next season, Boston Celtics just altered theirs for more revenue generation and then there is a national TV deal expected
to materialize in 2016. The revenue from TV Ratings is huge and it is no surprise why owners are hesitant to share that money with players.
Money is what drives the NBA franchises and their owners and talking about owners; no one is nearly on the same plane as the magnificent – sometimes eccentric – Mark Cuban.
The Dallas Mavericks mogul is perhaps the most famous owner in NBA and his antics over the years have made him a sort of a star. He is downright competitive and loves to have a go at his rivals. Among those rivals, the Lakers hold
a special place.
So, if the Lakers are planning to have their own network, how can Mark Cuban stay behind?
Talking to reporter recently, Cuban gave the first indication of creating the ‘Mavericks Network’,
"Yeah of course, when my deal is up. Absolutely. I think Time Warner [Cable] is kind of our incumbent [in the Dallas area] and HD Net is not on Time Warner. So will I package the two to get one? Absolutely”
This probably wouldn’t be happening soon as Mavs have a contract with Fox Sports Southwest till the 2016-2017 season. However, the future direction of the franchise coverage already seems to be in his mind.
When asked about the essence of especial-sport network, Cuban replied
"One, I mean because it’s live. That’s the key. Live drives. Live television programming is the only appointment television left, whether it’s basketball, football, baseball, hockey or Dancing With the Stars or American Idol. There’s
a reason why those are the most popular programs. So I think, just by default, those will continue to do well.”
The increasing trend of franchise based television networks can put some heat on the NBA owners in the NBA labour negotiations. According to owners, a total of $300 million was lost last season due to the previous Collective Bargaining
Agreement. The players have always maintained that these losses have nothing to do with the player’s pays and the owners need to implement a better strategy to increase their fortunes.
Television revenue is certainly a way forward and it basically highlights the fact that the players are correct in their stance.
Tags: