Anybody know why the NBA All Star Game does not rate network TV? Or has TNT got it locked in by virtue of their contractual arrangement with the league? Just curious. It used to be on network but maybe the ratings did some serious slippage!! D R
TNT ready for anything during All-Star Weekend ATLANTA — TNT will be prepared for Michael Jordan's last NBA All-Star Game appearance Sunday night. "We'll be ready for whatever Michael and his teammates decide what is right for him," Turner Sports President Mark Lazarus said. TNT cameras will focus on Jordan's family in addition to his walk from his (bench) chair to the scorer's table "and the incredible eruption that will take place. As a fan, I'm already excited," Lazarus said. The awarding of the All-Star Game to TNT — the first ever on cable — grew out of ESPN replacing broadcast network NBC as Turner's NBA partner in the new six-year, $4.6 billion NBA TV deal. To aid longtime NBA telecaster Turner, Commissioner David Stern gave TNT the All-Star Game and exclusivity on Thursday nights. But with TNT having 87 million homes compared with NBC's 106.7 million, Sunday's viewing audience figures to diminish from NBC's 8.2 network rating (28 million total viewers) for the game sandwiched during last year's Salt Lake City Winter Olympics. TNT is focusing on NBC's 6.0 average for 2000 and 2001. "If we get half of a 6 rating, I'll be disappointed," Lazarus says. "I think we can do between a 5 and 6. That's about a 15% difference. The backdrop of the celebration around Michael's last All-Star Game will bring a big group to this event." For his part, Stern is not looking back on his decision to accept ESPN's offer, at least $75 million a year higher than NBC's, and jump on the cable bandwagon. "We made a decision that was both strategic and economic," Stern said Thursday in an NBA hotel suite. "The loss of (broadcast) network shares and the growth of cable made it time to grow basketball on cable. Turner was willing to pay a ($2.2 billion) premium. It has shown (a 9%) ratings improvement from last year's programming on Thursday, the toughest night of the week, and ESPN's NBA ratings are up more than 40% in the same time slots."
Wasnt Kenny Smith the coach for one of them thats is probably why because he has his memorable years with the rockets
Yeah and Smith was with the Kings before as well. I'm sure each coach got to pick which team uniform they wanted their team to play in. Smith chose the Rockets and Barkley chose the Sixers because each played significant portions of their careers with each team. I'm surprised he didn't pick the Suns, since that is where most of his success came from (MVP award, deep playoff runs, etc.)
Barkley has said a number of times before, and annoyed countless people in the process, that he considers himself a Sixer because that's where he started his career. He'll probably want to go into the Hall of Fame as a Sixer, though he really is a Sun.
