By this point, it has been well documented that the NBA and Amazon were eager to reach an agreement for the league’s next media rights deal.
But while the NBA was clearly motivated to add a significant streaming component to its rights package, the e-commerce giant had its own motivations for getting a deal done.
On Monday, The Athletic’s Andrew Marchand published a detailed look inside how the NBA’s latest media rights package came to be. And in doing so, he revealed that one factor that increased Amazon’s efforts in getting a deal done was the lack of sports rights set to become available in the coming years.
“The global reach of Amazon also made the company an ideal partner for the NBA, which has focused on the international scene since late commissioner David Stern led the operation,” Marchand wrote. “[Amazon Prime Video’s global head of sports Jay] Marine loved the fit with the NBA, but also was very cognizant that, besides UFC, this was the last big deal and that the NBA would likely seek a very long-term contract.”
Save for UFC, whose media rights will become available when its current contract with ESPN expires at the end of 2025, the NBA’s recently completed negotiations (pending Warner Bros. Discovery’s lawsuit) marked the last significant sports rights deal that we will likely see for quite some time. The NFL’s current deal runs through 2033, the College Football Playoff’s runs through 2032 and both MLB and the NHL’s respective deals are set to expire after 2028.
As such, it would make sense that Amazon wouldn’t want to wait to add to its live sports collection, which currently includes the NFL’s Thursday Night Football and NASCAR. And adding the NBA to its portfolio doesn’t preclude Amazon from also bidding on UFC, which could find itself an even hotter commodity than expected considering the current sports media rights landscape.
In securing a deal with the NBA, Amazon further established itself as the go-to streamer when it comes to live sports media rights. And while the streamer only currently holds lower tier packages in the NBA and NFL’s rights deals, it isn’t showing signs of slowing down anytime soon, with Marine already eyeing the possibility of the platform hosting the NBA Finals and/or Super Bowl.
Writes Marchand:
“I was asked the other day, ‘Would you ever want to broadcast the Super Bowl?’’ Marine said. “And I’ve never answered yes so quickly in my life. And do I see that being a reality at some point.”
How about an NBA Finals?
“Absolutely,” Marine responded.
About Ben Axelrod
Ben Axelrod is a veteran of the sports media landscape, having most recently worked for NBC's Cleveland affiliate, WKYC. Prior to his time in Cleveland, he covered Ohio State football and the Big Ten for outlets including Cox Media Group, Bleacher Report, Scout and Rivals.