For die-hard fans of the sport, NBA League Pass is already a must, and that won’t change in the near future. However, Darren Rovell of ESPN brings word of an interesting new initiative set forth by the NBA in allowing consumers to potentially purchase only the fourth quarter of out-of-market regular season games.
The full season of NBA League Pass can already be purchased for $200 and, within that package, fans have the ability to watch any non-national broadcast throughout the campaign. Beyond that, there has been a team-only option implemented in recent years for the price of $120. Both are popular with fans.
The new option, though, would reportedly provide a way to pay $1.99 to secure the remainder of any game, but the price point would only be available “once the buzzer sounds to end the third quarter.” At the moment, the ability exists to purchase single games for $6.99 and, while this would not replace it, an additional possibility is intriguing.
“It’s a big moment, but it’s also a small first step,” NBA commissioner Adam Silver shared with ESPN. “There are limitations in the technology right now, but we’re working as quickly as possible so that, at some point in the near future, fans can choose to buy any part of any game.”
While the ESPN reports that Silver “acknowledged” the potential gambling implications of this innovation, it should be noted that the chance to watch a pivotal quarter might be quite appetizing for handicappers. It would be very interesting to note how much of this choice is centered on attracting that particular audience but, with that information unlikely to come to light, Silver referenced “a situation where a fan has dinner at 8 o’clock and only has 30 minutes and can choose to buy a half-hour of a game.”
More information could be available when the NBA formally announces the new initiative but, for now, NBA fans have yet another way (and a cheaper one) to consume the sport in small increments.
