NBA rejected by CCTV

There are lots of basketball fans in China – it's been estimated that there are as many NBA fans here as there are in the US and that viewing figures for each NBA game are somewhere around the 100 million mark. So it hasn't gone unnoticed that live broadcasts of the Playoffs – the climax of the NBA season – have stopped being aired on free-to-air television stations in China. To add insult to injury, fans haven't been given a valid reason as to why the games are no longer being broadcast. Instead they have to make do with questionable excuses. "These games are not in accordance with the atmosphere of the nation after the devastation of the earthquake. They are too entertaining," Jiang Heping, director of CCTV sports, told Reuters.

So what can sports fans watch during these sad times? Well, for one, a repeat of the NBA game they would have otherwise watched live the previous day – repeats of the games it seems are far more acceptable. Meanwhile, the French Tennis Open, the Chinese University Basketball Association (CUBA) league games and the 2008 International Table Tennis Professional Tournament are all considered so un-entertaining that they can still be broadcast live. Not to mention that Chinese viewers have simply replaced their TV screens for computer monitors and continue to watch live feeds of the games via major web portals such as Sina and Sohu.

If this wasn't confusing enough, over at the Shanghaiist they suggested that the lack of live coverage could be politically motivated. Not getting enough game time, Lakers bench-player Ira Newble has been investing his energy into raising awareness amongst NBA players about the plight of non-Arabic Sudanese in Darfur. Given China's involvement with the Sudanese government, could Ira's crusade have caused the NBA to discontinue their Chinese programming schedule? We think not. Judging by Nike's reaction to Ira's ideas, it's unlikely that the NBA would be willing to risk its huge investments in the lucrative Chinese market on "moral" grounds.

To try and clarify the situation, we contacted the NBA's China office, only for them to shrug their shoulders and issue the well-practiced statement: "We are working closely with CCTV to ensure that NBA games and content are appropriate for China and to begin broadcasting as soon as possible."

While it's rumored that the Playoffs will be televised live from June 8, we're guessing that this interruption to CCTV's scheduling was down to money or, more precisely, lack thereof. Perhaps Chinese basketball fans should consider this blip as the first indication that they’ll be watching the next NBA season on pay per view.

Links and Sources
Guardian: China takes playoff games off air
Shanghaiist: CCTV stops airing NBA playoffs; Darfur activists the reason?
LA Times: Lakers' Newble opens NBA eyes to Darfur
Yahoo Spotrs: Profile of Ira Newble
Sina: "We don't know why"
Sina: NBA遭央视无限期停播 球迷担心影响或姚明星途