Swell times for the Miami Heat these days. Not only is the team a lone victory away from claiming its second title in seven seasons (and not to mention finally getting LeBron James over the hump), but the Heat are also reportedly currently banging out the details of a potentially mega TV deal that would be second-richest in the league behind the Lakers’ deal. From Forbes:
Sources familiar with the negotiations, but who do not have permission to speak about them publicly, peg the value of the long-term deal between $80 million to $100 a year with Fox Sports Florida. Although the Heat’s new deal will only be about half the amount Los Angeles Lakers are going to get from Time Warner Cable, it will still generate at least over four times the revenue the team currently rakes in.
Credit the Heat for striking while the iron is hot. It looks as if they’ll probably be the ones hoisting the Larry O’Brien trophy this year after a second-straight Finals appearance. And of course there’s the Big Three, the most famous — or rather, infamous — trio in the NBA.
With the Big Three in place, the Heat, at least business-wise, are set. Chris Bosh, um, can just keep doing whatever. Dwyane Wade is showing some signs of slowing down but is still a top five, if not top ten, player in the league. And then there’s LeBron James. LeBron just grabbed his third MVP trophy this season and is in the prime of his career and is far from finished. The Heat ought to go from the mantra of “winning a ring for the King” to “thanking the King for the ca-ching.”
UPDATE: Fox Sports insists that the Forbes story is inaccurate and that the network isn’t in talks with the Heat for a TV deal “at this time.” Here’s what Chris Bellitti, VP of Communications for FSN, tells us via email:
“There’s no truth to that report whatsoever. The Miami Heat are great partners, and we are in the middle of a long-term TV deal that has several years remaining. There are no discussions taking place about a new TV deal at this time.”
H/T Eye on Basketball
Photo: Robert Mayer-US PRESSWIRE
