NBA to Tip a 25-Cent Digital Service

[John Corn]

Unable to get operators to pay 50 cents for its analog All Sports Network, the National Basketball Association is now pitching a 25-cent digital NBA channel that would offer up to 98 live games.

The NBA is planning to morph its current NBA TV barker channel into a full-fledged digital service — complete with interactive, electronic-commerce and high-definition capabilities — as well as the live telecasts, NBA Commissioner David Stern said last week.

Rest Of The Story (http://www.tvinsite.com/multichannelnews/index.asp?layout=story_stocks&articleid=CA231411&display=sectionStory&verticalid=316&industry=Top+Stories&pubdate=07/01/2002&STT=000&industryid=1069)

[Adam Richey]

I can't believe that Dish wouldn't be able to work out a deal now that it's that cheap. If they have to, I think they could safely increease the price of the sports pack by a buck or two since DirecTV considers it a premium at $12 a month.

[keithb]

This type of channel (Raptor TV) was added to our digital line-up last September in Canada. As a $1.99CDN a month pick n' pay, I'm sure basketball starved Canadians found it to be a bargain.

Most of the live games featured the Raptors with live "look-ins" updates and real time game scores similar to your NBA channel. Now if we could only get TNT up here............