ABC/ESPN To Roadblock NBA Finals Tip-Off

ABC is attempting a 360 slam dunk marketing move with the start of the NBA finals on ABC Thursday, June 7.

The network, which has roadblocked college games on various ESPN platforms, will roadblock the tip-off and "first few minutes" of the game, which starts at 9 p.m. It will air on ABC/ESPN's suite of channels and platforms--15 in all--including ESPN2, ESPN Classic, ESPN.com, and mobile platforms.

After those first few minutes, the networks will go back to original programming while advising viewers not watching ABC to tune in for the rest of the game.

All the games are airing in their entirety on ABC.

John Eggerton

Contributing editor John Eggerton has been an editor and/or writer on media regulation, legislation and policy for over four decades, including covering the FCC, FTC, Congress, the major media trade associations, and the federal courts. In addition to Multichannel News and Broadcasting + Cable, his work has appeared in Radio World, TV Technology, TV Fax, This Week in Consumer Electronics, Variety and the Encyclopedia Britannica.