After criticism for simulcasting the local feeds of the NBA Conference Quarterfinals and leaving viewers stuck with some outrageous homer calls, NBA TV has come to its senses and announced that it will produce its own feeds of the NBA Postseason. Some of the calls which have included Tommy Heinsohn of Comcast SportsNet New England for the Boston Celtics and Sean Elliot of Fox Sports Southwest on the San Antonio Spurs have angered fans to no end.
And let us not forget Pete Pranica of the Memphis Grizzlies calling Gary Neal’s buzzer beating shot to send the Spurs into overtime last year which might have been the last straw for NBA TV simulcasting local feeds. As you may remember, the call was suitable for Memphis, but for a national broadcast.
So NBA TV announced today that it will provide its own feeds of the NBA Conference Quarterfinals with TNT and its own announcers. Fans across the country will like that news.
NBA TV to Present Original Productions of NBA Playoff Games
NBA TV will originally produce up to nine NBA Playoff games this postseason, marking the first time NBA TV will independently produce its playoff games with NBA TV and TNT commentators since the Turner Sports-NBA partnership to jointly manage the NBA’s digital assets. NBA TV’s originally-produced playoff telecasts will include interviews with coaches, who will also wear microphones during the games. Each game night will include the Pregame Show, Halftime Report and NBA GameTime postgame shows.
NBA TV will offer extensive coverage of the playoffs including live first-round games, live studio coverage, pre- and postgame analysis, press conferences, re-aired elements of playoff games and original and encore presentations of NBA GameTime.
NBA TV’s playoff schedule with commentator assignments will be released Friday, April 27.
When NBA TV and Turner Sports provide more information on this, I’ll post it here.
