Dave Portnoy didn’t hesitate when conservative pundit Ben Shapiro asked him which American sports league has the brightest future. He said it was the NBA. Despite Shapiro trying to change his mind with conservative talking points, Portnoy stuck to his guns.
In fact, Portnoy agreed that there are significant hypocrisies that exist in the league. He just doesn’t think it is truly detrimental to its future.
“I think they’ve got the best commissioner and I think they’re the most internet savvy,” he explained.
The internet prowess cannot be argued. Mediaite’s Brandon Contes points out that the NBA has never placed restrictions on sharing its highlights. Other leagues cannot say the same. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver has even suggested that sharing highlights leads to more people tuning in for live games.
Under Silver’s leadership, the NBA has shown some flexibility in its approach rather than panic about television ratings. The upcoming Marvel-themed broadcast ESPN 2 will present on Monday is a good example, as are the gambling-centric broadcasts various RSNs have put on. While some are laser-focused on ratings, Silver is allowing his broadcast partners figure out how to use technology to open the door for new fans to find the league.
Dave Portnoy has been called a lot of negative things, but it is hard to argue that he has a mind for business. He has continued making appearances on conservative media outlets even after Big Cat called him out for betraying the fundamental directive of Barstool, that it is not a political brand. Portnoy would argue that it is a way for him to expose Barstool to audiences that have never thought about or heard of it.
Game recognizes game, as the saying goes. It is not hard to imagine that Dave Portnoy looks at Adam Silver and sees someone else who is always thinking about where the people that have not yet discovered his product are.
