China-run CCTV will air Game 5 of the Finals between the Los Angeles Lakers and Miami Heat following a year-long ban of carrying NBA games, as relayed by Brian Windhorst of ESPN.
CCTV dropped broadcasts of NBA games last October after Houston Rockets GM Daryl Morey tweeted support of Hong Kong protestors and their fight for democracy.
CCTV released a statement saying the ban has been lifted after the NBA showed goodwill to Chinese fans.
“During the recent Chinese National Day and Mid-Autumn Festival celebrations, the NBA sent their well wishes to fans in China,” CCTV said in the statement. “We also took note of the league has been continuously delivering goodwill [to China], particularly making positive contributions to Chinese people’s fight against COVID-19 pandemic.”
NBA commissioner Adam Silver estimated the NBA lost more than $300 million in 2019-20 as a result of CCTV’s decision to stop airing games, Windhorst wrote. It has not been determined if the decision to air Game 5 is a one-game thing or if CCTV will begin airing games regularly again next season.
The NBA hired Michael Ma as new head of Chinese operations in the spring. Ma is the son of CCTV Sports founder Ma Guoli.
A wide-ranging ESPN report in July detailed reported player abuse at NBA training academies in China. The league has not released a statement on CCTV’s decision to air Game 5.
