The $76 million TV rights deal that the NBA acquired is nothing less than how Andre Iguodala explained it: “Crazy!” The deal made waves even before it was finalized. It will be in motion starting in the 2025-26 season. Apart from praise, it has also received criticism. Regardless, this new endeavor will certainly bring benefits to both the players and the owners. But addressing some of the criticism, Iguodala, who has been closely observing the system, shared his take.

Praising the league, the former NBA player called out those criticizing the high pay of the players. He mentioned that it’s an open market, and the money will either go to the players or the “richer” side, which is likely the owners. 

“The NBA does an amazing job of monetizing the game. This last TV deal we got is crazy and I know how people are saying like how can you pay athletes this much money? What you want us to do? Not pay him? Where’s the money gonna go? If we don’t give it to the athletes who we giving it to? It’s going on to go to richer people or it’s going go to the athletes like pick a side right and it’s to the TV companies or it’s going to go to us,” Iguodala said.

He also highlighted that there is still much room for improvement in the league and expressed excitement about the initiatives that will be undertaken in the future. Speaking of the companies, Disney/ESPN, Amazon, and NBC Universal are all part of this 11-year deal.

NBC will pay $2.5 billion a year, while Disney has a deal of $2.6 billion for the NBA Finals. Amazon will stream regular-season games, playoffs, and the NBA In-Season Tournament for $1.8 billion per year. 

The TV deal is certainly significant, considering the value is nearly similar to the NFL’s deal. However, more criticism arose after NBA ratings dropped. But how does the NBA Commissioner think about the same?

What did Adam Silver say about the NBA ratings drop that led to the TV deal?

As per Front Office Sports, ESPN witnessed a drop of 28% in viewership. Fans were quick to criticize the product. Many pointed out the three-pointers revolutionized by the Golden State Warriors as being an issue. On the other hand, some criticized the frequent absence of star players in the game as the problem. 

However, NBA Commissioner Silver made it clear that the issue wasn’t the product but the World Series and presidential elections, which simply grabbed more attention. Furthermore, Silver also highlighted another factor, how people have switched to other ways of watching the games rather than on television. 

“We’re almost at the inflection point where people are watching more programming on streaming than they are in traditional television. And it’s a reason why for our new television deals, which will enter into next year, every game is going to be available on a streaming service,” Silver explained. Former NBA player Carmelo Anthony had a similar opinion.

He added, “And as we move to streaming service, putting aside how the actual game is played on the floor, it’s going to allow us from a production standpoint to do all kinds of things that you can’t do through traditional television.” This is why this deal is so important for the league in including the players. What is your take on this?