The NBA hopes to create another revenue stream by selling the fourth quarters of games on League Pass, according to Darren Rovell of ESPN.
The league, along with Turner Broadcasting, announced the plan this morning, which allows fans to watch the fourth quarter of any out-of-market game for $1.99. That price will be the same whether the buyer watches the entire quarter or just a few seconds.
“It’s a big moment, but it’s also a small first step,” NBA commissioner Adam Silver said. “There are limitations in the technology right now, but we’re working as quickly as possible so that, at some point in the near future, fans can choose to buy any part of any game.”
The league hopes that by December it will be able to sell viewing rights at the beginning of each quarter. Ten-minute packages of real-time game action will eventually be offered. The current price for an entire game is $6.99, available on Turner’s B/R Live, on NBA.com or on the NBA app.
Silver acknowledged that the new plan might appeal to gamblers, who may have a bet riding on the first half of a game. He added that the NBA may eventually move to dynamic pricing, with higher rates for more attractive matchups.
The title of the article is kind of misleading; it makes it seem like games were just cut off after three quarters
4th qtrs in televised basketball are the worst. Timeouts, intentional fouls, ads, games refusing to end if close; and if not close, worse.