Spirited Away: The Silna Brothers' Infamous Deal and the Explosion of NBA Media Rights

Abstract

(12 Willamette Sports L.J., no. 1, 2014, at 1). This article examines the evolution of media rights in the National Basketball Association (NBA) through the lens of the 1976 NBA-ABA merger, during which two teams, including the Spirits of St. Louis, were denied entry to the merged league. The article describes the history of the Spirits franchise and the merger, including the media rights agreement that the team’s owners made with the NBA as part of the settlement. Next, the article analyzes the evolution of NBA media rights since the merger. Finally, the article describes the impact that changes in media rights have had on the ramifications of the NBA’s agreement with the owners of the Spirits, including the recent lawsuit filed by the owners, and the associated settlement discussions between the owners and the league.