By Eurohoops team / info@eurohoops.net
The NBA is considering a pre-Christmas tip-off for the 2020-21 season instead of January, which could generate a difference of roughly $500 million in revenue, as reported by the Associated Press.
A significant revenue gain for the league, that has missed its revenue projections for the 2019-20 season by about $1.5 billion. “The losses were the result of a combination of factors — the shutdown caused by the pandemic, the cancelation of 171 regular-season games, completing the season in a bubble at Walt Disney World without fans, the nearly $200 million price tag for operating that bubble and a yearlong rift with the Chinese government that saw NBA games not shown on state television there”, per the report.
No final decision has been yet made about the start of the new season, and “talks with the National Basketball Players Association remain ongoing on many matters, including the financial parameters for the coming year. Those talks, especially on the money issue, would have to be concluded before any real decisions about next season are made”.
A tip-off in December would also allow players to join their respective national teams for Tokyo’s Olympics in summer 2021, provided that the season ends no later than June.