The Metropolitans 92 of Boulogne-Levallois have officially asked the National Basketball League for a share of the amount paid by the NBA to broadcast the Betclic Elite games of the team in which it evolves and prodigy Victor Wembanyama , or donated to clubs. The “Mets” made that request during the Nov. 4 steering committee meeting, whose members agreed “unanimously not to reallocate this financial contribution,” according to the decision release.
According to the management of the Hauts-de-Seine club, the NBA would have paid 137,000 dollars (133,000 euros) to buy all the league matches of the club that plays at Levallois-Perret at the end of October. The contract also includes the Leaders Cup, from 17 to 19 February between the eight best teams of the first leg, the All Star Game on 29 December and some matches in the final phase.
“We don’t feel respected”
The league has no obligation to transfer part of the broadcasting rights abroad to the clubs. But, he said, the steering committee could decide at the end of the season to do so “depending on the amount of marketing revenue” raised.
Following the Nov. 4 executive committee’s decision, Mets officials are considering possible legal action. But “the League seems to be legally in its right”, adds the leadership of Boulogne-Levallois, “surprised not to have been solicited more closely”. “We don’t feel very respected,” we continue from the same source.
“The League presented the purchase as involving the entire Elite. However, the NBA only communicates about Wembanyama, and his attraction (for the French championship) is only the consequence of the week spent in Las Vegas. There is an ambiguity ”, we argue on the side of the Hauts-de-Seine club.
The NBA invited the Mets in mid-October to play two games near Las Vegas against a team from the G-League, its lower league where players are developing, in order to make Wembanyama better known to the public, executives and to recruiters. The interior of 2.21m, turned over to be number one in the draft he had blown up the screen and been compared by LeBron James to an “alien.”
