Only a few weeks ago, Ian Eagle went on the Awful Announcing Podcast and declared that nothing was set in stone beyond the final NBA on TNT season.
A lot can change in a few weeks.
Eagle told AA podcast host Brandon Contes that there were some possibilities out there—Amazon and NBC—without naming names. He also said that he hoped that calling national NBA games and his duties for the Brooklyn Nets on YES Network would continue.
According to Ryan Glasspiegel of the New York Post, ‘The Bird’ will continue to call national NBA games following the completion of the 2024-25 season. And while it won’t be with TNT Sports, Glasspiegel reported Friday that Eagle is in “serious talks” to join Amazon when its Prime Video streaming service adds NBA rights, which Amazon is reportedly paying around $1.8 billion annually for.
The deal with Eagle has yet to be finalized, but it appears that Amazon has its sights set on a prominent announcer like Eagle. According to previous reporting from The Athletic’s Andrew Marchand, that plan could be to pair him with a former international NBA star like Dirk Nowitzki.
Getting Eagle in tow would be Amazon’s first step in cementing its status as an NBA rights holder. With Mike Breen firmly entrenched at ESPN and Mike Tirico and Noah Eagle—Ian’s son—expected to be the NBA’s voices on NBC, Amazon seemed like a likely landing spot for someone of Ian Eagle’s stature.
As part of its new NBA rights deal, Prime Video will air a bundle of regular season games, exclusive first- and second-round playoff series, and the Conference Finals in alternating years. Globally, Prime Video will also receive expanded broadcast rights in Europe and South America, including the NBA Finals in alternating years.
As for how this arrangement might impact his work covering the Nets for YES, a rep told the NY Post’s Brian Lewis that “Ian has been a valued member of the YES family since 2002, and we anticipate that he will be with us for years to come.”
Considering Ian Eagle’s popularity w/ fans, several asked if the Amazon news would take him out of doing #Nets games. A @YESNetwork spokesperson told me “Ian has been a valued member of the YES family since 2002, and we anticipate that he will be with us for years to come.” #NBA
— Brian Lewis (@NYPost_Lewis) October 25, 2024
Amazon may still be working on its streaming game, but potentially landing a seasoned pro like Ian would be a slam dunk in their quest to make Prime Video a major player in the NBA broadcast landscape.
[NYP]
