Ourand: NBA playoff matchups good for ratings and will set up the league’s next rights deal

With great matchups in both the east and west, the NBA is set up for strong ratings throughout the playoffs, said SBJ’s John Ourand on The Marchand and Ourand Sports Media Podcast. Even more importantly, Ourand said, is the timing, with the league’s next media rights deal coming up in 2025. Ourand: “Having these ratings and having these storylines that start bringing in the casual viewers is really going to help.” Ourand and co-host Andrew Marchand of the N.Y. Post also talk about the differences in the NBA and NHL audiences, and why NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman may think this is a good year for a Canadian team to make a playoff run. View the discussion below.