Basketball clubs in Greece have decided to postpone the commencement of the league after they failed to sign a new broadcasting rights contract with any television network.
Without the revenues provided by broadcasting rights, many of the cash-strapped clubs simply would not survive the season, which was due to begin this weekend. League organiser ESAKE, decided by majority of seven votes to four to delay the opening round of games until a TV channel agrees to buy the rights of all teams as a package, as opposed to having separate deals only for the most popular teams.
State broadcaster ERT has already agreed on terms with giants Panathinaikos and Olympiakos, who voted against this Greek version of a lockout. Now the league’s other clubs, led by Thessaloniki duo PAOK and Aris along Panionios, are putting pressure on ERT to buy their rights, too, to render the league viable. The next possible date for the league’s tip-off is 22 October.
