The NBA is never shy about tinkering with rule changes, but for the most part, they have left the general structure of games alone. However, Adam Silver indicated on Wednesday that he would be open to a substantial change to shorten games in the interest of making the game a better TV product.
In an appearance on The Dan Patrick Show, Silver said he’s “a fan” of the idea of playing 10-minute quarters, noting the NBA is the only league in the world that plays 12-minute quarters.
“Something else I’m a fan of — and I’m probably in the minority — as we get more involved in global basketball, the NBA is the only league that plays 48 minutes,” Silver said. “I am a fan of four 10-minute quarters. I’m not sure that many others are, and putting aside what it means for records and things like that, I think that a two-hour format for a game is more consistent with modern television habits.”
Silver acknowledged it’s a “dramatic change” and he’s not sure there would be considerable support for it through the rest of the league, and also pointed out that it’s very much a TV-centric consideration and not something fans going to games are worried about. Still, that the commissioner of the league is saying that he’s a fan of shortening games to be more in line with the Olympics, college basketball, international basketball, and the WNBA is worth earmarking as we move forward and the league’s decision-makers discuss potential changes. So much of the NBA’s revenue now comes from the TV broadcast contracts that it would not be surprising if they explored this option seriously — if the networks believe a shorter game window would lead to more viewers.
I personally am skeptical that cutting eight minutes of game time would lead to a significant shift in viewership. I think the best argument for it is that it’d lead to a higher percentage of the game with stars on the floor, not that people have shorter attention spans so two hours is better than two-plus. Overall, I don’t think the games need to be shorter (if anything, I’d advocate for cutting back on the number of games, not how long they are but that’s likely never going to happen) and I think players would push back pretty strongly, if for no other reason than what Silver noted about averages going down and records becoming, effectively, unbreakable.
Even so, this is certainly something to keep in mind as the NBA moves forward with their quest to get more eyes on games themselves as part of the new, massive TV deal.
