NBA paying more than $150 million to play games at Walt Disney World
Just about everyone knows that Walt Disney World in Orlando is expensive. So expensive, in fact, that it can put families out of thousands of dollars for just one week on property.
Take those thousands of dollars and multiply it by ... a lot, and you'll get the price that the NBA is paying to play games at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex and also use hotel facilities at the resort.
According to ESPN's Brian Windhorst, the NBA reportedly is paying Disney $1.5 million per day, which adds up to over $150 million in total just to finish out the 2019-20 campaign. Pretty brutal.
It's not difficult to see how the league is racking up such an expensive bill. Teams will be spread out between Disney's Grand Floridian Resort and Spa, the Yacht Club and the Gran Destino Tower at Coronado Springs. The Grand Floridian and Yacht Club are considered to be "deluxe resorts" by Disney standards while the Gran Destino Tower is considered to be a "moderate resort."
All of these resorts will be equipped with everything for the players to have an enjoyable experience when they aren't training or playing games. Among the amenities include, pools, movies, video games, private Disney chefs, DJ sets, gambling, barbers and 24-hour VIP concierge services. Plus, players can attend other games and potentially visit the Disney World theme parks after hours, according to Keith Smith of Yahoo Sports.
Hotel rooms at the Grand Floridian can cost upwards of $600 per night, depending on the time of year, while the Yacht Club rooms can cost upwards of $500 per night. The Gran Destino Tower, although considered moderate, can also cost upwards of $300 per night. Couple that with closing off certain areas like dining, pools and other various activities around the resort to paying guests and voilà, there's where much of your bill comes from ... not to mention the price tag of court facilities at the ESPN complex.
While $150 million is a hefty price to pay, Disney World was the perfect area for teams to return to action. It's very easy to maintain a "bubble" area at Disney, and the amenities being offered are nearly unbeatable.
Games are set to resume on July 30 and run through October with the NBA Finals included in that time period.
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