On February 28, 1940, the first televised basketball game was broadcast by W2XBS, an experimental station in New York City that would eventually become WNBC. The game featured Fordham University and the University of Pittsburgh at Madison Square Garden. Pitt won the game with a score of 57-37.
Although the broadcast was only available to a few hundred television sets in the New York area, it marked a significant milestone in sports broadcasting history. The announcer for the game was Bill Allen, who provided commentary from a balcony overlooking the court.
At the time, basketball was still a relatively young sport, having been invented just 49 years earlier by Dr. James Naismith. The game had undergone several rule changes since its inception, including the introduction of the three-second rule and the elimination of the center jump after each basket.
The televised broadcast of the game was a technical achievement for its time, as it required the use of multiple cameras and complex wiring to transmit the video signal. The quality of the broadcast was primitive by today's standards, with a flickering black-and-white image and limited camera angles.
Despite the limitations, the broadcast was well-received by those who were able to watch it. It provided a glimpse into the future of sports broadcasting and paved the way for the widespread televising of basketball games in the decades that followed.
Today, February 28, 1940, is remembered as a landmark day in sports history, marking the beginning of a new era in which fans could watch their favorite teams and players from the comfort of their own homes.
