YouTube to air D-League games live

[Droid101]

The more legitimate streaming can take hold, the better!

This summer YouTube made its biggest advance into sports by picking up rights to live stream the Olympics in various countries, but now it has gained a domestic foothold by partnering with the NBA to air D-League games. While the world isn't exactly beating down the doors to watch minor league basketball, this is YouTube's biggest pro sports deal so far. Neither the NBA nor Google will say how much the rights cost for it to air 350 or so of the league's 400 games, but we wouldn't expect to see YouTube bids for Monday Night Football. The NBA has long been a YouTube partner in other deals, and there were rumors last year that they were considering a deal for games, although right now Google seems to have its eye on ESPN3 instead of ESPN and will focus on niche sports and complementary programming. If you're a fan of the Fort Wayne Mad Ants or just trying to catch a peek at the next Jeremy Lin before everyone else, the broadcasts start Friday night (in HD) with four games. They're also accessible via team and league websites, as archived VOD on YouTube, through mobile apps for iOS and Android or, of course, on TV when they air on NBA TV and CBS Sports Network.

http://www.engadget.com/2012/11/21/y...agu/#continued

[NuggetsFan]

Awesome. I don't watch alot of D-League, for obvious reasons. I'll want to catch as many Quincy Miller games as possible.

I wish it had more prospects. NBA doesn't really use it tho, not really any potential All-Star talent down there. I don't know if it would even be possible, probably a terrible idea but I think it'd be awesome if the D-League became a spot where young guy's could go instead of college. An alternative for the guy's who only plan on staying one year at college. Maybe they end up staying an extra year or two and developing in an NBA like situation. Could try and snag players from Europe too, get them to come over at the same stage. Could do it like hockey and hold a draft, where teams could draft guy's like Noel and Bazz 1st\2nd and so on.


Raise the age requirement to 20 for the NBA and have the D-League at 17 or something. Probably dumb but it would be awesome to have a league like that. Instead of watching these guy's go play with college players, have them come in and play with fringe NBA guy's. Maybe it prolongs development but probably be alot more ready at 20-24.

Plus it'd be better for entertainment

[UtahJazzFan88]

I think the D-League is starting to get better, there's a lot more 2nd round picks and lower level prospects playing down there, 5-6 years ago there wasn't even, a lot of no names. There's a lot of NBA teams now that are buying D-League teams or partnering with D-League teams as a sole affiliate. I think eventually the D-League will be a decent minor league, and I actually agree, maybe they should consider making the NBA age rule to 20/2 years of college or 1-2 years in the D-League. I think there's been one player that went to the D-League out of high school and was drafted, Latavious Williams who was drafted by the Heat, but that's it.

Plus they need to increase contracts in the D-League, they are pretty crappy. Most decent named guys out there like a Shelden Williams or Weems or whoever would rather go to Europe than play in the D-League.

[kNIOKAS]

Originally Posted by NuggetsFan

Awesome. I don't watch alot of D-League, for obvious reasons. I'll want to catch as many Quincy Miller games as possible.

I wish it had more prospects. NBA doesn't really use it tho, not really any potential All-Star talent down there. I don't know if it would even be possible, probably a terrible idea but I think it'd be awesome if the D-League became a spot where young guy's could go instead of college. An alternative for the guy's who only plan on staying one year at college. Maybe they end up staying an extra year or two and developing in an NBA like situation. Could try and snag players from Europe too, get them to come over at the same stage. Could do it like hockey and hold a draft, where teams could draft guy's like Noel and Bazz 1st\2nd and so on.


Raise the age requirement to 20 for the NBA and have the D-League at 17 or something. Probably dumb but it would be awesome to have a league like that. Instead of watching these guy's go play with college players, have them come in and play with fringe NBA guy's. Maybe it prolongs development but probably be alot more ready at 20-24.

Plus it'd be better for entertainment

I have an impression that D-league is a bloodbath of uneducated athletic underage criminals (chocholate people). Would be lovely if this changes and it's a pool of creative coaches/prospect players. I'd watch that for telling you one, "told you so" on a certain player booming.

[outbreak]

This isn't their biggest sports deal. They had rights to the IPL cricket league which would have had millions more viewers (indian and the sub continent are mental for cricket). Those streams were pretty badly handled iirc