ESPN Is Cutting Down on Knicks Games; NBA Team’s Losses Mount at Record Rate

By Scott Soshnick

ESPN will show less of the last-place New York Knicks, who have lost a single-season franchise-record 13 consecutive games.
The Walt Disney Co. (DIS) network will no longer televise New York’s Feb. 6 game in Brooklyn, opting instead for Los Angeles Clippers-Toronto Raptors, or its March 25 home game against the Clippers, changing to Chicago Bulls-Raptors, the National Basketball Association said.
“The Knicks come with a built-in advantage -- the additional media exposure that comes with playing in the nation’s largest television market,” said consultant Lee Berke, chief executive officer of LHB Sports, Entertainment and Media. “But when you’ve lost 13
straight and your record is 5-33, it doesn’t matter where your team is located. You’re no longer a national ratings draw.”
The Raptors lead the Atlantic Division with a 24-10 record, while the Knicks are tied with Philadelphia and Minnesota for the fewest wins in the league.

Rebuilding Plan

The Knicks earlier this week signaled their intent to embark on a rebuilding plan by trading J.R. Smith and Iman Shumpert. Derek Fisher, in his first year as coach, has said consideration is being given to resting All-Star Carmelo Anthony for the remainder of the season.
The Knicks are scheduled to make five more national TV appearances this season -- one each on ABC and ESPN -- and three on TNT, which will show Houston at New York tonight.
ABC is scheduled to show LeBron James’s Cleveland Cavaliers at New York on Feb. 22.
Disney and Time Warner Inc. three months ago renewed their contracts to carry the NBA, agreeing to pay $24 billion over nine years, about triple the existing agreements.