Championship vs Entertainment
Is sports about winning championships or is it about keeping us entertained? As a fan, are you happier if your team plays well or if they win? There has been a huge debate around the NBA about players resting and the main argument has been should they play because the fans are paying to watch them play. The players argue that resting is good strategy and allows them to be fresh for the post season. The TV companies argue that they are paying the players billions and therefore the players should be playing as this boosts ratings and allows them to recoup their investments through adverts. Both sides have a valid argument; TV Companies TV companies pay enormous amounts of money to acquire the rights to screen NBA games; under the current deal, ESPN and TNT retained the rights to show NBA games for the next nine years at a cost of $24 billion. This deal has an implied promise that the players will do all in their power to promote the league and make it more entertaining