[WNBA] TNT Ripple Effect?

[Mr. S£im Citrus]

Inspired by this thread.

I don't follow women's basketball 365 days a year like some of you all do, so this didn't immediately cross my mind. But, now that I think about it, I can't help but wonder whether TNT taking over operation of NBA TV will have a negative effect on the WNBA, in terms of broadcast coverage? I mean, I believe that the WNBA extended their partnership with NBA TV last season, but what happens after that? For that matter, is TNT even obligated to honor the current agreement?

 

[Monty'sBiggestFan]

When I read this a few days ago in another women's basketball forum, it didn't strike me as something to worry about. I think these were mostly the reasons why I saw it more positively than negatively...

• I saw it presented this way. "...The deal gives Turner responsibility for content, marketing and technical operation of NBA TV, NBA.com and WNBA.com, as well as responsibility for operating NBA League Pass, the league's out-of-market game-telecast package....(full story)

• This still David Stern's brand, and I don't see him doing anything that shortchanges it. Relatedly, NBATV is going to need programming during the months there are no live NBA games on. If the W's advertisers are going to pay more money than some advertiser trying to get advertising time during some studio show with a Vescey on it, or the umpteenth showing of a NBA's Greatest Games during prime time he's going to take it - Turner didn't get rich turning money down. I don't think the W jumps to TNT because TNT seemed to want to make enroads into baseball last year. But with a team with purportedly A LOT of money behind it existing in Atlanta, who knows.

• Orender, when she was in town made a veiled comment, so veiled I don't remember if I mentioned it when I posted the summary someone asked me to post about what she had to say. The question posed to her had something to do with increasing the number of games available on TV. She said something that lead me to believe that SOMETHING about how they packaged the games was in the process of being changed. I think I had inferred that she meant we *may* get some semblance of WNBA League Pass back. Ackerman had always tied the reason why that went away was because they created NBATV and would actually be broadcasting more games thererolleyes. Maybe this is what she was alluding to? I hope so, I NEEEEEEEEEEED WNBALP back.

EDIT: I think the agreement that was extended last year was the one they had with ESPN