While Amazon isn’t able to bid for a package of NBA media rights yet due to the league’s exclusive negotiation period with ESPN and Warner Bros. Discovery, some details are emerging about the type of package the company could be looking for.
Per Front Office Sports, Amazon is hunting a package on either Tuesday or Thursday nights. TNT airs games on both nights in the NBA’s current media rights deal.
The NBA is widely expected to carve out a package of digital rights in its next media rights deal. Last week, the Wall Street Journal reported that both ESPN and WBD were looking to re-up with the NBA for smaller packages than what they currently have. WBD slimming down its package could allow Amazon to swoop in and pick up one of the nights the company is reportedly seeking.
While Amazon’s interest in acquiring NBA rights is well-known, other streaming-forward companies have been cooler on the league. Earlier this month, YouTube declared that it was focused on improving the NFL Sunday Ticket experience for subscribers before it would jump into the pool for other rights. Despite Netflix being mentioned as a suitor for live sports rights for years, co-CEO Ted Sarandos has been steadfast in the company’s lack of interest in acquiring live sports rights.
Apple is the big wild card in the battle for NBA streaming rights. The company has been linked to the league’s global rights, but that package will likely be far more expensive than the company’s global rights deal with MLS.
Disney and WBD are the most commonly linked traditional media partners for the NBA, though long-time partner NBC has also consistently been linked this year (potentially in partnership with WBD), which would likely also include games on streaming service Peacock. Fox Sports does not appear to be a player for NBA rights.
