PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA – MAY 05: NBA Commissioner Adam Silver (L) awards Joel Embiid (R) #21 of … [+] the Philadelphia 76ers with the 2022-23 Kia NBA Most Valuable Player Trophy prior to game three of the Eastern Conference Second Round Playoffs against the Boston Celtics at Wells Fargo Center on May 05, 2023 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images)
Getty ImagesLast season, we saw the first steps of the NBA branching out on their primary digital platform, the official NBA App, by acquiring the rights to air games played by the Metropolitans 92, who had Victor Wembanyama on their roster.
Over the course of this summer, the league aired Nike’s EYBL Peach Jam event, featuring Cooper Flagg, the 16-year-old, who won’t be draft eligible until 2025.
Now the NBA is expanding its coverage once again, leading into the upcoming season. According to a new press release, the NBA App will feature „more than 10,000 additional hours of programming to entertain fans throughout the 2023-2024 season.“
These additions include:
NBA CrunchTime, described as „the league’s weekly whiparound show taking fans live to crucial moments of each game and providing real-time updates and analysis – returns with more than 50 episodes, twice as many as last season.“
The program will be hosted by Jared Greenberg via NBA TV and debuts on Monday, Oct. 30 this season.
Race for the NBA Cup will „document the inaugural NBA In-Season Tournament, giving fans exclusive access to teams competing for the first NBA Cup from tip-off on Nov. 3 through the championship game in Las Vegas on Dec. 9.“
Coaches Corner will „feature NBA coaches breaking down the X’s and O’s in interviews and game-film analysis, including sessions with Nekias Duncan and Steve Jones, hosts of the popular “The Dunker Spot” podcast.“
Bring It Home, narrated by Denver Nuggets guard Jamal Murray, is a new program that „offers a behind-the-scenes look into the Nuggets’ 2022-23 season, which culminated in the franchise’s first-ever NBA championship.“
Pass the Rock, a returning program, „provide an in-depth look at the league’s up-and-coming stars, featuring Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards, New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson, Memphis Grizzlies forward Jaren Jackson Jr., Orlando Magic forward Paolo Banchero and Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton, among others.“
It’s a smart play by the NBA to install a program during their first NBA Cup run, as fans will need time to adjust to new in-season tournament, the first of its kind in NBA history. Surely, some hand holding will be necessary as to best convey both the rules and setting of the Cup.
Furthermore, the NBA’s willingness to invite podcasters into their ecosystem should be extremely interesting for fans, looking to hear other voices. Duncan and Jones are big names on social media, and have the ability to explain detailed concepts to readers in ways that are understandable.
Overall, it’s an interesting direction for the NBA App, and one that makes sense given the large interest in NBA basketball worldwide. Creating a hub, which offers more than just games, allows for people to get an omnipresent perspective of not just the NBA as it is, but where it is going – hence why the league has already showcased Wembanyama and Flagg.
It’s also a progressive way of delivering more content to people not from the US, who may struggle to watch a substantial amount of games due to time zone changes. By presenting content that doesn’t last for almost three hours, users can watch content on the fly, not dissimilar to how Netflix functions.
Finally, this was bound to happen. The NBA offering more content was always in the cards, especially in this digitalized age where everything as at one’s fingertips. NBA Entertainment spent the 90’s and early 00’s frequently releasing themed VHS tapes or DVDs, and are now entirely embracing streaming which allows for more users, and thus requires more content given the larger demand.