The LNB’s Missed Opportunity to Save French Basketball
And the country’s massive bets on Kemba Walker, Joel Embiid
In 2022, the NBA negotiated a deal with la Ligue Nationale de Basket (LNB), the French basketball league, for the rights to broadcast their top division, Betclic Élite, on NBATV in the United States and throughout the world. The timing of the deal coincided directly with the mounting hype around all-time French prospect, Victor Wembanyama, who was a lock to be the next number one draft pick. The LNB agreed to a deal with the NBA worth 133,000 euros, or just shy of $140,000 USD, which were subsequently kept by the league instead of being distributed among participating clubs. For context, the NBA earns $2.6 billion per year from their current TV deals themselves.
It’s true that LNB officials were shortsighted in agreeing to the deal with the NBA on the French league’s — and consequently Victor Wembanyama’s pre-draft — viewing rights for such a low total. But the NBA was shortsighted in their offer if the league truly aims to grow the game of basketball.
