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Media & Entertainment Law

: Sports Biz

NBA and English Premier League Exploring Tie-up

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Get out the wedding bells and stock up on rice. David Stern has finally decided that maybe, just maybe, he doesn't have this international thing completely worked out the way he wants it and that expert help, particularly in Asia just might be a good thing. So, where do you go to get that kind of expert advice?

You turn to the one professional sports organization that is more popular worldwide than you are, the English Premier League. The two leagues are in discussions to form a joint venture of some sort, most likely at this point just marketing, but you never know, with Asia as its principal focus. Both leagues have been active in Asia but see it as clearly the greatest area of growth and one that each could greatly benefit from the other's expertise. For one thing, they have different broadcast relationships that they could seek to exploit in Asia. The NBA is currently tied to Disney/ABC/ESPN and Turner/Time Warner in the US, with individual relationship in countries abroad, while the EPL currently has a relationship with BSkyB/Fox and Setanta. Although given Setanta's financial condition, I'm not sure that is a relationship worth exploiting.

Finally, there is this amazing quote from David Stern: ?We are unapologetic imitators. The Premier League?s ability to negotiate their [media] deals and the way they split their packages [of media rights] . . .?is something we can learn from.? Did you ever think you would hear Stern talk about the learning about media deals like that?

The NBA also wants to get more international owners, meaning the Chinese investment in the Cavs is hoped to be only the beginning. The EPL has an extremely diverse ownership roster with owners from North America, Russia and the Middle East. The NBA hopes to leverage the EPL's experience to recruit new investors.

Full post as published by Sports Biz on June 07, 2009 (boomark / email).