The features that have so far appeared include a streaming ticker at the bottom of the screen with real up to date sports scores, just as it appears on the ESPN channel.

Still, that goal may be a stretch because the ESPN channels are available in only 81 percent of the television universe that CBS is seen in.

In the event of live sports coverage on the network, the show is occasionally delayed or moved to another ESPN channel.

The enhanced format was ended in June 2010 and the channel is now fullscreen 16:9, with regular gray and red graphics similar to the other ESPN channels.

The cost of the ESPN channel, for example, has nearly doubled in five years, to nearly $2 a subscriber, making it one of the most expensive basic channels.

The decrease is worse because OLN is available to about 20 million fewer homes than the ESPN channels.

Khatib said he began playing at 8 and grew up watching N.B.A. games on the international ESPN channel.

Five years ago, the only games televised on any ESPN channel were the national final and semifinals.

The association also produced an hourlong behind-the-scenes look at the movie which ran this month on ESPN channels.

Some of that money will pay for commercials promoting the games on ESPN channels, they said.