The NBA has now gone 71 straight days without a game, which would be – BY FAR – the longest in-season stoppage in league history.
How early in the day would you watch a game now?
Keith Smith:
Told today that if the NBA does resume with all 30 teams at a single-site, game days are likely to look like Summer League. Games would be almost all day long (starting around 12:00 noon ET) until the regular season is complete. Playoffs would follow a more regular schedule.
— Keith Smith (@KeithSmithNBA) May 22, 2020
It’s still unclear whether non-playoff teams will resume and whether games be held in only one location. So, this plan might not apply.
But this is good insight into the league’s approach.
The main point of playing more regular-season games would be fulfilling local-TV contracts. On one hand, local TV networks might object to games held so far out of prime time. On the other hand, more people are home during the day – either working or unemployed – than usual. Everyone might be content to generate some money rather than no money.
The big revenue comes in the playoffs, and that’s when the format will look more normal (though still not at home sites).