Sports Media Biz: ESPN+ will stream a Marvel-themed NBA game on May 3rd

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ESPN+ will stream a Marvel-themed NBA game on May 3rd

Golden State Warriors and New Orleans Pelicans players will battle to become Marvel's first champion.

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ESPN+ will stream a Marvel-themed NBA game on May 3rd
Golden State Warriors and New Orleans Pelicans players will battle to become Marvel's first champion.

On May 3rd, Golden State Warriors and New Orleans Pelicans will square off. You'll be able to watch the matchup on ESPN, and it very well could be a great, entertaining NBA game. But you might have way more fun if you watch on ESPN2, ESPN+ or ESPN Deportes instead. A Marvel-themed "Arena of Heroes" broadcast will air on those platforms on what will be just he second occasion that ESPN+ has streamed a live NBA game.

Superheroes including Black Panther, Iron Man, Doctor Strange and Captain Marvel will appear, while commentators will call the game from a Marvel-themed studio. There'll be a Marvel storyline running through the game, as the Avengers "will hold a series of contests where the winners earn the right to train and fight alongside them as Marvel’s Champions," according to ESPN.

The contest will focus on three players from each team: the Warriors' Steph Curry, Draymond Green and Andrew Wiggins, and Zion Williamson, Brandon Ingram and Lonzo Ball of the Pelicans. Alternates will be chosen if any of those athletes can't play.
Marvel/NBA

The players will earn Marvel Hero points for every rebound, assist, steal, block and point they rack up, but if there's a turnover or a player misses a field goal or free throw, they'll lose hero points. Whichever player accrues the most hero points will be crowned Marvel's first champion.

Gamifying a pro sports game might seem like overkill, but it'll add a fun touch to the matchup and perhaps draw in extra viewers with a more family-friendly broadcast. As CNBC notes, ratings for NBA games on ESPN are down 15 percent on average from last season to 1.2 million viewers.

The NFL tried a similar tactic with a post-season game between the New Orleans Saints and Chicago Bears in January. A kid-friendly version of the broadcast aired on Nickelodeon. Kids explained the likes of false starts, while augmented-reality slime cannons erupted in the Slime Zone (what boring people might call the touchdown zone). It was the most-watched program on the network in two years, with 2 million viewers.

 

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Here's How the ESPN+ NBA Marvel Game Should Go

In a truly confounding mash-up of what I previously understood to be two completely unrelated things, ESPN has announced its “first-ever Marvel-inspired

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Here's How the ESPN+ NBA Marvel Game Should Go

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Photo: Mike Windle (Getty Images)
In a truly confounding mash-up of what I previously understood to be two completely unrelated things, ESPN has announced its “first-ever Marvel-inspired alternate NBA telecast.” Wait, what?

ESPN described the event as a “Marvel-inspired alternate presentation” for an upcoming Golden State Warriors versus New Orleans Pelicans game slated for May 3 at 7:30 p.m. ET. The event will center on a Marvel storyline with 3D characters and animations and will feature characters Iron Man, Black Panther, Captain Marvel, Captain America, Black Widow, and Doctor Strange. Three players from each team, including Warriors Stephen Curry and Draymond Green, will have active roles in the event and will win “Marvel Hero points” for their performance in the game.

“After a narrow victory over an invading alien army, the Avengers receive an ominous threat from the enemy who vows to return in greater numbers and force. The Black Panther and Iron Man quickly realize they will need more help and form a plan to expand their ranks to fight this impending threat,” the press release reads. “Recognizing the superior physical abilities, agility, and tenacity of Earth’s greatest athletes, the Avengers will hold a series of contests where the winners earn the right to train and fight alongside them as Marvel’s Champions! The Avengers will begin their recruitment with the NBA elite and observe the battle between the Warriors and the Pelicans, focusing on three star players from each team.”



The winning team will evidently be named Marvel’s first Champion. Points can be both won and deducted based on performance during the event, which is certainly one idea. We have some notes.

Here’s how this should go: First of all, Thanos’ head will serve as the ball. At an unspecified time during any point in the IRL game, half of the players will disappear. Scratch that—half of the entire arena will disappear. In the wake of missing players and bystanders, signs for the poorly constructed campaign to #BringBackTonyStarktoLife will crop up everywhere. Chaos will ensue. Just spitballing here but surely if we want to give the people the true Marvel experience, we can do better than 3D visuals and cartoons, can we not?

The event will stream on ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN+, and ESPN Deportes. ESPN, please feel free to contact us here at Gizmodo dot com if you’d like some feedback.