To the joy of many fans, it has been announced that the NBA will return on July 31st as the twenty two teams with a realistic shot at the playoffs will be back on our screens – the schedule has mostly been laid out, as each will play eight regular season games before heading into the playoffs with the season expected to wrap up on October 12th, but what lessons have been learned from other events, and what can be expected?
No attendance, but that’s not a bad thing – It’s unlikely that there will be any fans in attendance for quite some time which may take away from the experience for some, but this may not be a bad thing as it allows for broadcasters to try some new things – this may be interviews or new camera angles that would have otherwise been used for shots of the audience.
All teams will be together – Perhaps the biggest change will be within the location – it has been confirmed that all teams will gather together at Disney World in Orlando as the 220-acre complex will house all of the players and support staff that come with them, this brings a bit of an unknown as some teams may be competing in an environment that they’re not used to.
Betting may play a part in success – As has been seen in many other successful events held recently, the amount of betting may be a good indicator of success especially as using attendance as a benchmark is no longer available – it may serve as the metric to indicate how many are viewing.
This is increasingly true recently with regulation changes in the market for some countries – in the UK a recent change had banned all credit card betting alongside the mandatory initiative of Gamstop for all operators limiting the places that players could use, however some of the best non gamstop betting sites are reviewed and serve as a place for players to go to whilst these events are taking place.
There’s still a chance for delays and cancellations – It’s also important to note that however excited we may be for the return, to keep expectations measured – there is still the possibility that some games could be cancelled or postponed with any changes that could impact the teams – although this risk is greatly reduced as all teams are together in one complex, it could also lead to a more complicated situation.
This does provide a great opportunity for those who may have never watched the modern era NBA, with other sports still being cancelled it may attract a bigger audience as the places in which the NBA can be viewed may be bigger than previously – for UK fans, sky sports will be broadcasting the games but there will also likely be a number of online streams and broadcasts that will provide the opportunity for viewing – if you’ve ever been interested in the sport, now may be a great time to give it a watch and see if it’s for you.