An Interview with Adam Silver, President and Chief Operating Officer, NBA Entertainment

Abstract

Introduction Adam Silver, President and Chief Operating Officer of NBA Entertainment, has a pivotal leadership role in one of the most progressive sporting organisations in the world. With responsibility for the NBA's and WNBA's television, film, Internet, publishing and event relationships domestically and internationally, Silver finds himself working with not only US networks such as NBC, TNT, TBS and ESPN but also more than 125 international television companies. One of his most recent initiatives was the creation and development of NBA.com TV--the NBA's new 24-hour digital television network that represents a convergence of Internet and television technologies. In this interview with Dr Bill Sutton from the University of Massachusetts, Silver provides an insight into the way in which new technology is radically altering the way in which sports programming is delivered, and comments on some of the likely consequences of this transformation. WS: Adam, for the benefit of our readership, please discuss your career path and current responsibilities with the National Basketball Association (NBA). AS: I am the President and Chief Operating Officer of NBA Entertainment (NBAE), which manages the NBA's and WNBA's (Women's National Basketball Association) television, film, Internet, publishing, photos, merchandising, marketing partnerships, media properties and event relationships domestically and internationally. We have an extremely dedicated, smart and creative staff of about 425 professionals who have helped make NBAE an Emmy Award-winning production and digital media company and one of the largest providers of sports television and digital media in the world. We manage the NBA's and WNBA's game telecasts on NBC, TNT, TBS, ESPN and Lifetime and more than 125 international television networks. This season, NBA games and other NBA programming are broadcast in 205 countries around the world. In the past six months, we created and developed NBA.com TV--a 24-hour digital television network--and significantly enhanced our award-winning Internet sites, NBA.com and WNBA.com, significantly enhancing our content, multimedia features and e-commerce capabilities. NBAE produces several weekly shows, top-selling sports home videos and the promotional commercials and public service announcements for the NBA and WNBA. During my tenure as NBAE President, we've created--and strengthened--many of the NBA's relationships with the entertainment. industry and have instituted relationships with Columbia TriStar Television, BET and Nickelodeon among others to develop NBA-themed television programs. We are also currently producing two films for theatrical release, including the IMAX presentation, Michael Jordan to the Max (May 2000). I joined the NBA in 1992 as Special Assistant to Commissioner Stern. Before that I was a Litigation Associate at the New York law firm of Cravath, Swaine & Moore, where I concentrated on media and antitrust cases. I was a law clerk to Judge Kimba Wood at the Federal District Court in New York City and a Legislative Aide in Washington DC to Congressman Les AuCoin. I graduated from Duke University and the University of Chicago Law School. WS: What do you perceive to be your major role as the person responsible for NBA Entertainment? AS: My role is to create opportunities to enhance the fan experience through a combination of traditional and new media, with the ultimate goal being to grow the sport of basketball and the NBA brand on a global basis. Strictly from a marketing point of view, we are looking at opportunities to further provide more personalized access to our game and players for our core fans as well as for new audiences. In the future we will see the development of on-line global communities in which fans worldwide can access interactive features while watching a game in a virtual environment. Knowing that a miniscule percentage of the world's population has an opportunity to attend our games, we are making every effort to enhance the NBA experience through digital media. …