Ahmad Rashad and Willow Bay taped the tapes around 1993 in Secaucus, New Jersey.
Nathaniel S. Butler | National Basketball Association | Getty Images
The NBA is quietly preparing to reclaim its iconic show, “NBA Inside Stuff.”
On Monday, the league submitted two trademark applications to the “NBA Inside Stuff.” This is the name of a long-running NBA highlights show that aired on three different networks throughout history. The most notable are NBC and ABC from 1990 to 2006. The show temporarily revived on NBA TV from 2013 to 2016.
NBC is considering retrieving a “refreshed version” of the program, according to anyone familiar with the issue. NBC will air live NBA games again next season after losing broadcasting rights in 2002.
No decision has been made on whether to update the show, people said. An NBC spokesman declined to comment.
The NBA did not immediately respond to requests for comment. However, sources close to the league said the filing was part of the NBA’s everyday trademark process.
The league previously owned multiple “NBA Inside Stuff” trademark registrations, but it disappointed them probably because they didn’t use the trademark.
“Wednesday!”
The “NBA Inside Stuff” was originally hosted by sportscaster Ahmad Rashad. He aimed to popularize and humanize NBA players with behind-the-scenes access. The “Rewind” segment of the show, featuring game highlights, and Rashad, became a show staple by screaming out the day of the week.
The league’s two trademark declarations show that the league uses the “NBA Inside Stuff” name on its television programme and aims to produce products for the brand.
Josh Gerben, trademark attorney for Gerben IP, said television doesn’t necessarily mean linear television. It could be in the form of a YouTube or Tiktok show.
“This is a great intellectual property for the league,” Gerben said. “I think that has a lot of business implications right now.”
The league could attempt to license the IP to one of its media partners, Gerben said.
In July, the NBA signed an 11-year, $76 billion media rights agreement with Walt Disney Company, NBCUniversal and Amazon, kick-off next season.
NBC may be trying to take advantage of nostalgia from past runs that mark the NBA game. In November, composer Josh Tesch revealed that he was working with NBC on CNBC to regain his famous “Round Ball Rock” song.
Disclosure: NBCuniversal is the parent company of CNBC.
