The NBA is currently negotiating TV rights deals that will last ten years and longer. These contracts will change how the league usually distributes games, as streaming platforms have emerged as the primary means of service distribution.
The current holders, ESPN, ABC, and TNT Sports, are interested in the deal and also have great potential in keeping their rights; however, it is noted by Andrew Marchand via The Athletic that a new partner will enter the platform, and Amazon Prime Video has the highest probability.
As noted in the report, on Monday, 11:59 p.m. E.T., the official window of negotiations between the NBA, ESPN, and TNT Sports will officially conclude. The league will also get a chance to negotiate with other rising tech giants such as Google/YouTube, Netflix, and Apple, besides Amazon and NBC.
Amazon could be set to stream major NBA games, even conference finals and the Finals, in a potential long-term deal, per @AndrewMarchand
“The notion that a pure streamer, like Amazon, could have significant games, including conference finals and perhaps even the NBA Finals at… pic.twitter.com/Ff2Jbe9aGP
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) April 22, 2024
The league prefers three separate packages, but the informed individuals regarding the discussion shared that the possibility of a fourth one has not yet been completely precluded. Marchand further states, “The notion that a pure streamer, like Amazon, could have significant games, including conference finals and perhaps even the NBA Finals at some point over the life of a long-term deal is a possibility, according to executives briefed on the NBA’s discussions.”
The main broadcast of NBA Finals is with ABC currently and the conference finals take place on TNT Sports and ESPN. The networks, however, wish to reserve the rights. A spokesperson of the league also mentioned, “We continue to have productive discussions with Disney and Warner Bros. Discovery on a renewal of our media deals.”
The league is also looking forward to charting a course, considering the rights deal through which they get media contracts for ten years or longer. This could be due to the fact that a wide range of companies are entering the market and the league thinks they might decrease as streaming platforms are quickly taking major places.
The NBA will also discuss the possibility of working with ESPN, Amazon, Apple, Google/YouTube TV in order to offer local games directly to consumers; however, the league executives have also stated that the structure under consideration would not offer exclusive access to these platforms.
The parent company of ESPN and Warner Bros. Discovery, Disney, also has TNT under its platform and all of them are highlighting their streaming offerings. As per the report, Max and Bleacher Report are under TNT Sports.
ESPN next year will enter service platform of direct to consumer and its services are anticipated to be between $25 and $30 per month, whereas three networks such as TNT Sports, ESPN, and Fox Sports will also launch a collective direct to consumer service, which, according to the report, will range from $40 to $50 monthly.
However, Amazon has entered the market with an impressive feat and the NBA is highly interested in their services. The amalgamation giant, Amazon, has shown interest in regular and post-season game packages, as per the executives.
The network giants would like to retain their rights, with other rising entities such as Google/YouTube, Apple, and Netflix opting for other packages other than going in for the traditional ones.
