NBA Enters Exploratory Talks to Resume 2020 Season in July

The league is discussing restarting the season at ESPN's Wide World of Sports Complex in Disney World.

The NBA season could potentially resume as soon as this July.

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According to Variety, the league has entered "exploratory" discussions with Disney over the prospect of hosting games and practices at a single site in the company's Disney World resort. The report suggests ESPN's Wide World of Sports Complex could be a prospective facility. In a statement, Mike Bass, the NBA's chief communications officer, claimed the league was eyeing a late-July relaunch and is "working with public health experts and government officials on a comprehensive set of guidelines to ensure that appropriate medical protocols and protections are in place."

Earlier this month, several leagues unveiled preliminary plans for the resumption of their own seasons. MLB and NHL owners are considering an abbreviated 2020 season, while NASCAR and the PGA have already green-lit matches with no fans present. Meanwhile, the NFL is still planning for a full 16-game season to begin in September.

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It's unclear whether the NBA will allow fans in any capacity at whichever site they chose as a host, but it seems the loss of advertising revenue from the hit to live viewership is beginning to factor into the limited reopening calculus. In April, Forbes projected ad sales for the NBA and NHL lost between March 2019 and May 2019 alone could exceed $1 billion.