NBA commissioner Adam Silver praised Prime Video’s NBA studio crew, and in the process took some pot shots at other networks.
Appearing on Prime’s pregame coverage of the NBA Cup Final between the New York Knicks and San Antonio Spurs, Silver expressed why he thought the Prime Video studio of Taylor Rooks, Dirk Nowitzki, Steve Nash, Blake Griffin, and Udonis Haslem was “fantastic” compared to others broadcasting the league.
“By the way, in all honesty, I love the chemistry of you guys. I mean, obviously, it’s why you did so well in a team sport. The chemistry’s fantastic,” Silver began. “And I also will just say quickly, as a fan, I think you do a great job educating other fans about the game because that, I would say, has frustrated me in the past about some coverage when it’s sort of reduced to ‘one side wanted it more’ or ‘this side played harder.’ When you guys are explaining, like, why can’t a guy get a shot off, why is a particular defense working, I think the studio you guys built is off the charts. And I think the technology that you’re using- when you guys go out on the floor to demonstrate things, I can say as a fan I love that part of the coverage.”
Silver didn’t go so far as naming any names, but the subtext was rather obvious. Fans and players alike have taken issue with ESPN’s NBA coverage in recent years for focusing too much on narratives and too little about what’s happening on the court. Players have even taken issue with the TNT-produced Inside the NBA (which now appears on ESPN), though fans almost unanimously love the show.
NBA studio is a tough needle to thread. Like with any sport, a show doesn’t want to get too bogged down with scheme and risk losing interest from casual viewers. But it’s also important not to simply fall back on narrative.
Silver brings up a great point in that the best studio shows are often educational. Prime has been able to teach fans about the game of basketball in ways that ESPN and TNT have failed to do in the past. Perhaps that’s because Prime was willing to bring a cadre of new voices into the fold that are unencumbered by the usual tropes of television broadcasting.
The new energy has been well-received from fans. And alongside NBC, the NBA’s other new partner this season, Prime Video has helped usher in a more positive style of coverage to basketball fans.
About Drew Lerner
Drew Lerner is a staff writer for Awful Announcing and an aspiring cable subscriber. He previously covered sports media for Sports Media Watch. Future beat writer for the Oasis reunion tour.