LeBron James decision could backfire on NBA business
LeBron James has decided to pack his bags and bring his highly marketable talents from the Cleveland Cavaliers to the Miami Heat. The free agent deal will team "King" James with noted stars Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh and give head coach Pat Riley yet one more opportunity to show why he's one of the greatest motivators in NBA history. This spells big business for the Heat and Miami and a proverbial kick to the shins for the Cavaliers and Cleveland, but as Bloomberg and other media outlets speculate, is the LeBron James deal really bad for the NBA?
LeBron James and shrinking NBA ratings
The NBA has contracts with networks (ESPN, ABC, Turner), and all of them are no doubt looking forward to big Miami Heat ratings in 2010-11. That's great when the Miami Heat plays, but hurts the rest of the league. This also applies to ticket sales. NBC Commissioner David Stern surely wants all teams to be successful, but the truth is that many people want to see starts like LeBron James play. As previous CBS Sports President Neal Pilson told Bloomberg, "You can't just show Miami all the time and certainly the TV carriers benefit when you have attractive stars and personalities on multiple teams".
Interestingly, if LeBron James had signed with the New York Knicks (a team that was in the running), it would have been broadcasting and marketing serendipity. It bears mentioning here that New York, Los Angeles and Chicago are the top 3 Nielsen markets. Miami clocks in at number 17.
'The Decision' was overblown, to be certain
LeBron James and posse want you to think "The Decision" was an hour-long soul search to the heart of a hero. Big-name sponsors lined up to sop up the gravy, from the University of Phoenix to Microsoft and McDonald's to Coca-Cola, reports Bloomberg. LeBron James' "The Decision" was back scratching for him, but it also sent $2.5 million to the Boys and Girls Clubs of America.
And if the Heat goes down?
Cleveland and Cavaliers primary owner Dan Gilbert will probably share a big high five. A lack of NBA Championship rings is the focus of a huge photo in Cleveland's The Plain Dealer newspaper of James; he's walking away, and the headline reads "Gone". Dan Gilbert staged a press conference in which he called James a narcissist and condemned his "shocking act of disloyalty" to Cleveland. James' "heartless and callous action," according to Dan Gilbert, will spread his "curse" to Miami, a team which Gilbert insists will not win a championship before his Cavaliers. Clearly, "King" James should have something to prove.
LeBron James has decided to pack his bags and bring his highly marketable talents from the Cleveland Cavaliers to the Miami Heat. The free agent deal will team "King" James with noted stars Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh and give head coach Pat Riley yet one more opportunity to show why he's one of the greatest motivators in NBA history. This spells big business for the Heat and Miami and a proverbial kick to the shins for the Cavaliers and Cleveland, but as Bloomberg and other media outlets speculate, is the LeBron James deal really bad for the NBA?
LeBron James and shrinking NBA ratings
The NBA has contracts with networks (ESPN, ABC, Turner), and all of them are no doubt looking forward to big Miami Heat ratings in 2010-11. That's great when the Miami Heat plays, but hurts the rest of the league. This also applies to ticket sales. NBC Commissioner David Stern surely wants all teams to be successful, but the truth is that many people want to see starts like LeBron James play. As previous CBS Sports President Neal Pilson told Bloomberg, "You can't just show Miami all the time and certainly the TV carriers benefit when you have attractive stars and personalities on multiple teams".
Interestingly, if LeBron James had signed with the New York Knicks (a team that was in the running), it would have been broadcasting and marketing serendipity. It bears mentioning here that New York, Los Angeles and Chicago are the top 3 Nielsen markets. Miami clocks in at number 17.
'The Decision' was overblown, to be certain
LeBron James and posse want you to think "The Decision" was an hour-long soul search to the heart of a hero. Big-name sponsors lined up to sop up the gravy, from the University of Phoenix to Microsoft and McDonald's to Coca-Cola, reports Bloomberg. LeBron James' "The Decision" was back scratching for him, but it also sent $2.5 million to the Boys and Girls Clubs of America.
And if the Heat goes down?
Cleveland and Cavaliers primary owner Dan Gilbert will probably share a big high five. A lack of NBA Championship rings is the focus of a huge photo in Cleveland's The Plain Dealer newspaper of James; he's walking away, and the headline reads "Gone". Dan Gilbert staged a press conference in which he called James a narcissist and condemned his "shocking act of disloyalty" to Cleveland. James' "heartless and callous action," according to Dan Gilbert, will spread his "curse" to Miami, a team which Gilbert insists will not win a championship before his Cavaliers. Clearly, "King" James should have something to prove.