During Adam Silver‘s call with NBA players on Friday, many near-term questions were presented, but there was a shortage of definitive answers as the league aims to resume its 2019/20 season. Silver stressed the need for testing and how it will expand as players return to practice facilities. Additionally, more information was provided in terms of travel, training camp and the 2020/21 season.
All of that doesn’t even scratch the surface of the financial impact the league will endure. With the season suspended in March, there have been no NBA games for two months and if they do resume, there is no guarantee fans will be allowed, potentially for all of 2020.
Per ESPN’s Bobby Marks (Twitter link), the NBA was projecting $8 billion in revenue for the current season and $8.4 billion in 2020/21. However, those projections were in place before the coronavirus outbreak. As Silver noted, having fans in the stands for all games equates to 40% of the NBA’s revenue.
If the league moves forward with fan-less arenas, which may be limited to one or two locations at least for the rest of 2019/20, the loss of revenue will essentially force the league to restructure the current collective bargaining agreement. The league has already cut back salaries of employees, including players, while teams evaluate paying non-laid off or furloughed employees on a month to month basis.
There is no pandemic. Pneumonia, flu, Zika, Norovirus. Corona has the same stats as every other virus. 85% of the deaths are those 75 years old plus. This is not a threat to the general public. I don’t understand why people are angry the stats are less than predicted. That’s a good thing. Time to get back to normal.
Mr. Dangler: you probably also feel good that African Americans suffer disproportionately to their numbers from the coronavirus. I’m guessing you’re neither 75 nor African American. I’m guessing, too, that your concept of the “general public” only includes people exactly like you. And finally I’m guessing that “normal” for you is the equivalent of self-indulgence and hang the consequences for anybody else.
Try again, I’m a 41 year old black man living in Chicago. You sir are a complete fool if you believe a virus knows someone’s skin color. If you are uncomfortable or scared of people then you are free to stay home. You need 6x the acute cases just to reach 1%. Keep being a sheep and pay no attention to actual facts and statistics. Open your eyes.
Since every spring there is an equivalent attempt by all the world’s peoples to avoid catching a virus.
Mr. Dangler: I guess you’re right. I can just stay home. And maybe that will turn out to be my best option. I wouldn’t say, though, that I need to open my eyes, as you put it. It’s that what I see is different from you do. And I will say that I admire your certitude. I can’t imagine you’ve ever been as uncertain as I am about this virus.
Realsox. I agree with you but it is not the race that causes a disproportionate number of African Americans to suffer from COVID but the medical conditions caused by living conditions and diet.
If you look at the New York State stats, flattening the curve puts us in control the virus. When the virus is rampant,hospitals are ineffective. NYC hospitals are managing the crisis now only because we followed the protocol. God bless any city that goes through what NYC did. Better safe than sorry.
Minorities are disproportionately suffering from COVID-19 due to many factors outside of their ethnicity. Access healthcare, unhealthy lifestyle, & living in closer urban environments, are the main factors here.
This stat that 40% of NBA revenue comes from ticket sales, that I don’t believe. I would guess that TV rights and liscensing are both higher. I mean, attendance incomes are divided with the home team.
Maybe that’s 40% of income from the NBA plus all 30 franchises including stadium owners? Oh whatever
Its related to the CBA. I’m not sure that all NBA related revenue is bargained under the CBA. Team merchandise that only involves logos and not players names. The stadiums that are owned by teams and generate revenue. Things of this nature might not be included in the CBA relative revenue. Also, not sure about your city but even a crappy warriors team is $140 tickets.
I don’t know for sure that the 40% estimate is accurate, but to be fair, it referred to “having fans in arenas” rather than just ticket sales, so I assume it includes all the purchases fans make as part of the in-person experience (parking, concessions, merch, etc.)