Even if Adam Silver enters his new job as NBA commissioner with a reputation as far less brash than his predecessor David Stern, that doesn't mean that Silver's ambition is any less grandiose.
CBSSports.com reported Thursday night that Silver said he wants the NBA to compete with the NFL for the hearts of the American sports fan that football currently holds.
"As much as we talk about international ... I still think there's an enormous opportunity in the United States," Silver said. "... I think this game should be a rival to football. In the United States; it's the No. 1 participatory sport. We've all played it. I want to focus on the game. The business is going well, but this is a beautiful game."
The problem for Silver is that the revenue gap is so wide between the two sports that the NBA has a huge uphill climb.
SB Nation reports, as posted by CBSSports.com, that the NFL generated $10 billion in revenue, compared to the NBA's $4 billion. The NFL playoffs tend to generate double to triple the TV ratings that the NBA playoffs do.
Also, a Harris Interactive poll cites that 36 percent of respondents consider the NFL to be their favorite sports. Only five percent of those participating in the survey consider the NBA as their favorite sport.
CBSSports.com reported that the NBA wants to emulate the NFL in trying to create a level playing field among big and small markets. One of the characteristics that makes the NFL interesting to fans is the number of teams who enter a season thinking they can win the Super Bowl, which CBS estimates 25 of the 32 NFL franchises.
The number of contending teams in the NBA tends to hover around four to five each year.
"I look at the enormous gap between NFL ratings and NBA ratings and see enormous room for growth," Silver said, according to USA TODAY Sports.
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