The Influence of the Internet on the NBA
The Influence of the Internet on the NBA
In 1993 the National Basketball Association entered the world of internet by initiating NBA.com, their official home site. The impact it has had on the league is unique, and I will discus how the internet made NBA the global league it has become. Specifically I will look at the introduction of live Web cast games.
About the NBA
Since its founding in 1946, the NBA has become a global phenomenon that transcends national boundaries. With 29 teams in the United States and Canada, NBA games and related programming are broadcast to 210 countries in 42 languages. The NBA is one of the largest suppliers of sports television and Internet programming in the world. Through NBA Entertainment, the league's award-winning production and programming division, the league produces NBA.com TV, a 24-hour television network, weekly television shows, and exclusive content for each of the NBA's team Web sites, and the league's official site, NBA.com. The league has partnered with the leading Internet content and technology providers, including America Online, Convera, IBM, RealNetworks, USA Networks, and Yahoo! to bring the game experience even closer to its fans worldwide.
NBA in a unique position
For the last 20 years the NBA has been in a unique situation that has allowed them to take greater benefit from the internet then probably every other league. The explanation to this lies firstly in the fact that as a basketball league, the NBA is a hundred times more popular then every other basketball league in the world. The quality of play, the entertainment value and the money involved are so much better in the NBA that there really is no competition. This puts the NBA in a position where they draw every basketball fan around the world to them. The other sports competing with basketball as major sports are football (or soccer as heathens say) and golf. What separates the NBA from football is that there are several professional football leagues fighting for world supremacy. Italians follow Serie A, the British follow the English Premier league, the Spanish watch Primiera Divisione etc.
Golf, unlike basketball, has never been a sport that has drawn attention from the young and trendy groups of our population. Basketball is by many considered the most hip and cool sport, and where golf has traditions, basketball have the ability to adapt to time. NBA.com is one such adaptation.
NBA.COM
10 years ago...