Local TV rights fees for individual teams also continue to soar, especially in larger markets as media companies see the 162-games schedule as the key tent-pole to any regional sports network.
In recent years, states have competed to move their primaries earlier on the schedule in order to ensure the candidates and media pay attention to them.
But right on schedule, as the representatives of these countries sat down with one another, the Iranians told the media they are interested in negotiating.