Senator Blackburn Questions NBA Executive About China Ties
Senator Marsha Blackburn from Tennessee questioned NBA executive Bill Koenig about the league’s relationship with China during a recent hearing in Washington. This meeting was attended by representatives from several major sports leagues to discuss various media rights and broadcasting issues.
Blackburn specifically asked Koenig, who serves as the NBA’s president of Global Content & Media Distribution, about the league’s interactions with China in recent years. She expressed her concerns about the NBA’s dealings, especially in the context of China’s government, which is known for its censorship and oppressive policies.
She recalled the incident in 2019 when former Rockets GM Daryl Morey tweeted support for Hong Kong’s freedom, which led to significant backlash from China. This reaction included the cancellation of an NBA preseason game in Shanghai and a nearly year-long suspension of NBA broadcasts in China. Blackburn pointed out that it seems the NBA has been mending this relationship since then, implying there must be substantial value in these dealings.
Continuing her line of questioning, Blackburn pressed Koenig on specifics regarding the value of broadcasting rights in China and how much NBA owners have invested in that market. She noted, “We’re talking about broadcasting rights and what they’re worth. What is the value of those rights?”
Koenig responded by mentioning the long-standing relationship between the NBA and China, spanning over 30 years. However, Blackburn was not satisfied with this answer and sought concrete figures. She asserted that the media rights could be worth hundreds of millions of dollars and noted that NBA owners have invested up to $10 billion in China.
Blackburn referenced human rights issues and expressed concerns about how players have been punished for speaking out against human rights abuses in China. In turn, Koenig emphasized that freedom of speech is among the NBA’s core values, denying that the league had restricted Morey in any way after his controversial remarks. He acknowledged that the fallout from Morey’s tweet did affect the NBA’s coverage in China but maintained that their commitment to free speech remains strong.
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver also mentioned the league’s plans to potentially resume games in China, despite past tensions. He reflected on the financial losses faced by corporate sponsors following the deterioration of relationships with China in 2020, which had a ripple effect on the league. In a survey conducted by ESPN in 2022, NBA owners’ total investment in China reached around $10 billion, indicating the significant stakes involved.
