Is Stern this evil? Broadcasting rights

[YouJustGotSUNSD]

So as I am engulfing myself deeper and deeper into conspiracy theories and reading articles til the crack of dawn, it dawns on me

holy crap, when did tnt/espn/abc negotiate rights to the 07-08 season...i could have sworn i read something recently about it

So I asked my friend google and he told me this:

Stern claims he found out about the scandal June 20th

Numerous articles from numerous news agencies are posted on June 27th, 1 week after Stern found out about the scandal

http://www.multichannel.com/article/CA6455866.html

New NBA Deal for ESPN/ABC, TNT a Multiplatform Fast-Break



Published Reports Peg Eight-Year Agreements at Total of $7.6B

By Mike Reynolds -- Multichannel News, 6/27/2007 6:55:00 PM

Under their new eight-year multiplatform agreement with the National Basketball Association, ESPN/ABC and TNT have expanded their games.
While the new eight-season contracts -- which published reports have pegged collectively at some $7.6 billion, including fees from the league-owned NBA TV -- essentially replicate ESPN’s and TNT’s current regular-season and postseason schedules, the deals enable the networks to stream live games on their air and migrate other NBA-oriented content to an array of other platforms on live, delayed and on-demand basis.
The parties would not address the cost of the rights.
Covering the 2008-09 through the 2015-16 NBA seasons, the pact calls for ESPN to televise up to 75 regular-season games, primarily on Wednesday and Friday nights, while TNT will continue its exclusive Thursday-night doubleheader telecasts and retain rights to the NBA All-Star Game.
...

“The overall financial picture is where we need this to be,” ESPN executive vice president of content John Skipper said. “We’re quite confident that [the NBA deal] will have great value for all of our properties.”
To that end, he explained that sold-out ads accompanying online video starts -- 3.2 million over the course of the recently completed NBA season -- carry CPMs (cost per thousand homes) that are “consistent” with those for ESPN’s TV CPMs. Skipper said ESPN, which has launched seven new platforms since its current NBA deal tipped off, could add another 5-10 over the life of the new contract.
Turner Sports president David Levy -- who on the conference call said there wouldn’t be any loss leaders relative to the various rights Turner will hold under the new pact -- emphasized later in an interview that Turner wouldn’t have engaged in a deal of this magnitude “unless it would be profitable across all platforms.” He noted that the media landscape of today will look vastly different in “2011, 12, 13 and 14,” with digital assets becoming even more prevalent and key relative to advertisers, branding, viewers and consumers over the term of the deal.
Levy said the negotiations on Turner’s far-reaching deal took nine months. “This was a very complex deal. It’s not easy figuring out how long things could stay up on digital before rights revert back to the NBA,” he added. “The NBA has always been an innovator, and this will not only serve as model for future sports rights negotiations, but for [general] programming deals in terms of digital extensions.”
Skipper, also speaking to the deal’s intricacies, was ecstatic that “broadcast, cable, international, radio and digital rights all were done at one time.”
Speaking of international, Skipper said ESPN expanded its NBA game and studio programming presence in a number of territories. Moreover, there was “a significant increase” relative to its digital presence with the league abroad. “There was a big step up here,” he said, noting that “generally, where ESPN holds game rights, the same digital rights apply.”
The deal comes just weeks after the conclusion of the league’s lowest-rated Finals -- the San Antonio Spurs’ sweep of the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Both Turner and ESPN, though, expressed confident in the NBA’s long-term Nielsen health.

and this

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=2918089

"This agreement sets a new standard -- it is the most expansive package of rights we've acquired from a major professional league in our 27-year history," ESPN president George Bodeheimer said. "We're thrilled to take a major step forward in our relationship with David Stern and the NBA with this broad, global agreement. The scope of this deal and the new rights we obtained offer us tremendous opportunities to serve NBA fans like never before -- in the U.S., around the world, and through any device."

from a washington post article
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/06/27/AR2007062701028.html

"I consider this to be a wonderful vote of confidence by our very sophisticated network partners who are making such a substantial and long-term commitment," NBA commissioner David Stern said.

...

"We are in this for the long term with the NBA," said George Bodenheimer, the president of ESPN, Inc. and ABC Sports. "Sports is cyclical; they go up and down.... But it's an incredibly consistent property for us."

...

Stern and network executives downplayed the league's declining TV ratings, insisting there is still plenty of demand for NBA-related content through other forms of media.

Is this as evil as it looks to me?

 

[Mulli]

I must be missing something. I don't see the evil.

 

[nowagimp]

I must be missing something. I don't see the evil.

Could be that the networks could sue for nondisclosure of an ongoing investigation that would devalue the broadcast rights being negotiated. It may not be fraud, but its not far away.

 

[YouJustGotSUNSD]

You dont think a tainted ref scandal would make broadcasting companies want to renegotiate or at least pause a 7.6 billion dollar purchase of game rights? Seriously?

If not, mind if I sell you my car without telling you the transmission is about to fall apart?

 

[Mulli]

Could be that the networks could sue for nondisclosure of an ongoing investigation that would devalue the broadcast rights being negotiated. It may not be fraud, but its not far away.

Thanks.

 

[Mulli]

You dont think a tainted ref scandal would make broadcasting companies want to renegotiate or at least pause a 7.6 billion dollar purchase of game rights?

I missed that.

 

[YouJustGotSUNSD]

I also have some prime real estate in the florida swamplands you should sign the deed to before taking a look at

 

[thegrahamcrackr]

Could be that the networks could sue for nondisclosure of an ongoing investigation that would devalue the broadcast rights being negotiated. It may not be fraud, but its not far away.

Can they though if Stern was given a complete gag order by the FBI? How does that play into it all??

 

[YouJustGotSUNSD]

Can they though if Stern was given a complete gag order by the FBI? How does that play into it all??

Pfft

You pause negotiations, no scandal is worth signing 7 billion dollars into play.


Thats like burning a house down to catch a graffiti artist

 

[SunsFanVegas]

Very EVIL....but not surprising for Stern

 

[fordronken]

Pfft

You pause negotiations, no scandal is worth signing 7 billion dollars into play.


Thats like burning a house down to catch a graffiti artist

To catch a graffiti artist? It's about compromising an FBI investigation into organized crime. If networks suddenly have to pause their negotiations because of Stern and the mob finds out, it could ruin years of investigation work done by the government. It's not burning down a house to catch a grafitti artist, it's altering the amount of dollars being spent by a rich corporation to assist in the opportunity to catch murderers, raqueteers and thieves.

 

[nowagimp]

Can they though if Stern was given a complete gag order by the FBI? How does that play into it all??

I am not a lawyer, so I certainly dont know. I do know that if this was done in the sale of a company, people could go to jail for the nondisclosure. Certainly Stern couldnt say he didnt know it would effect the value of the agreement. It could be that the courts might rescind the agreement due to the gag order. If I were those networks, I'd be exploring my legal options right now as clearly the value of the agreement has been damaged.

 

[YouJustGotSUNSD]

To catch a graffiti artist? It's about compromising an FBI investigation into organized crime. If networks suddenly have to pause their negotiations because of Stern and the mob finds out, it could ruin years of investigation work done by the government. It's not burning down a house to catch a grafitti artist, it's altering the amount of dollars being spent by a rich corporation to assist in the opportunity to catch murderers, raqueteers and thieves.

I dont see how the FBI could get away with mandating that stern not disclose that a 7.6 billion dollar deal may be tainted

just so they can catch some mobsters and a crooked ref? ESPN/ABC/TNT would sue the crap out of the FBI

I completely disagree with your assessment of the situation.

 

[fordronken]

I dont see how the FBI could get away with mandating that stern not disclose that a 7.6 billion dollar deal may be tainted

just so they can catch some mobsters and a crooked ref? ESPN/ABC/TNT would sue the crap out of the FBI

I completely disagree with your assessment of the situation.

They're allegations. He still hasn't even been charged with anything. And if the FBI tells him he can't disclose information, why the heck would he disclose information?

 

[YouJustGotSUNSD]

They're allegations. He still hasn't even been charged with anything. And if the FBI tells him he can't disclose information, why the heck would he disclose information?

There is no rational reason that the FBI would put a gag order on information that would taint a 7.6 billion dollar deal


Either stern did it himself or I am completely missing something

 

[Maligzar]

You dont think a tainted ref scandal would make broadcasting companies want to renegotiate or at least pause a 7.6 billion dollar purchase of game rights? Seriously?

If not, mind if I sell you my car without telling you the transmission is about to fall apart?

Apples and Oranges.

When you buy a car you own the car.

The NBA wasn't sold. This was just a negotiation for contractual rights to broadcast. I doubt there is very much disclosure that is legally required when negotiating broadcasting rights.

 

[Maligzar]

There is no rational reason that the FBI would put a gag order on information that would taint a 7.6 billion dollar deal


Either stern did it himself or I am completely missing something

If it would effect an ongoing investigation. You bet they would.

 

[fordronken]

There is no rational reason that the FBI would put a gag order on information that would taint a 7.6 billion dollar deal


Either stern did it himself or I am completely missing something

If David Stern tells ABC and TNT that there could be a huge scandal brewing over a league official, you don't think that there's any possibility that word could get back to the mob? All a mob informer has to hear is that there is a ref who is betting on games and they would immediately start going into a defensive lock down. They know that they have ties to Donaghy, and if the they hear anything at all, it compromises a federal investigation. Stern's not allowed to tell anyone, so why would he be allowed to tell a massive corporation? You don't think news sources would report a stall in a negotiation of that magnitude? You don't think reporters would be digging into their sources to find out why? And why would the FBI care about the negotiation when there's a possibility, no matter how remote, that it could compromise a multi year FBI investigation to take down a major criminal element in the United States?

Apparently everything in the world is David Stern's fault, adn the Suns submarined their franchise because they lost Kurt Thomas. This has got to be one of the most overblown fan reactions to a Suns offseason I've ever seen.

 

[nowagimp]

Apples and Oranges.

The NBA wasn't sold. This was just a negotiation for contractual rights to broadcast. I doubt there is very much disclosure that is legally required when negotiating broadcasting rights.

I can tell you for sure that selling marketing rights requires a pretty comprehensive disclosure, have some experience there.

 

[YouJustGotSUNSD]

If David Stern tells ABC and TNT that there could be a huge scandal brewing over a league official, you don't think that there's any possibility that word could get back to the mob? All a mob informer has to hear is that there is a ref who is betting on games and they would immediately start going into a defensive lock down. They know that they have ties to Donaghy, and if the they hear anything at all, it compromises a federal investigation. Stern's not allowed to tell anyone, so why would he be allowed to tell a massive corporation? You don't think news sources would report a stall in a negotiation of that magnitude? You don't think reporters would be digging into their sources to find out why? And why would the FBI care about the negotiation when there's a possibility, no matter how remote, that it could compromise a multi year FBI investigation to take down a major criminal element in the United States?

Apparently everything in the world is David Stern's fault, adn the Suns submarined their franchise because they lost Kurt Thomas. This has got to be one of the most overblown fan reactions to a Suns offseason I've ever seen.

Youre the one overblowing the alternative. Who said his only other option was calling TNT up and confessing everything. He can put a pause on everything without confessing anything


I dont see how you could say a 7.6 billion dollar potential sham can be overblown

 

[YouJustGotSUNSD]

Apples and Oranges.

When you buy a car you own the car.

The NBA wasn't sold. This was just a negotiation for contractual rights to broadcast. I doubt there is very much disclosure that is legally required when negotiating broadcasting rights.

This is very short-sighted. I dont agree with this at all.

 

[dreamcastrocks]

Youre the one overblowing the alternative. Who said his only other option was calling TNT up and confessing everything. He can put a pause on everything without confessing anything


I dont see how you could say a 7.6 billion dollar potential sham can be overblown

Wait, you're the one calling the broadcasting rights deal a sham, and then saying ford is overblowing the alternative?

 

[YouJustGotSUNSD]

Wait, you're the one calling the broadcasting rights deal a sham, and then saying ford is overblowing the alternative?

I said potential sham, which holds as much water as any donaghy suns-spurs discussion that goes on here.

Are you too saying this its a non issue that stern may not have disclosed deal-altering information on a 7.6 billion dollar deal without at minimum pausing negotiations?

 

[dreamcastrocks]

I said potential sham, which holds as much water as any donaghy suns-spurs discussion that goes on here.

Are you too saying this its a non issue that stern may not have disclosed deal-altering information on a 7.6 billion dollar deal without at minimum pausing negotiations?

Well, first of all, didn't he say that he didn't know anything about this until a few days ago? Secondly, he may not have been able to say anything legally. Third, the deal took 9 months as said in the article you posted. How much longer did you want this to be delayed?

 

[Mulli]

I think 1) he disclosed it behind closed doors to those he had to disclose it to, or 2) Agreement was reached long before he knew about the investigation.