For the 2025–2026 NBA season, the league has a choice of partners: ESPN, Warner Bros. Discovery, Amazon, and NBCUniversal are all interested in obtaining the rights to the league’s upcoming broadcast package.
The NBA hopes to increase its revenue from broadcast rights as sports continue to dominate TV and as streaming providers show a strong interest in the space. Sports media insider Andrew Marchand stated on The Marchand and Ourand Sports Media Podcast that even though the league might not be able to quadruple its revenue, it is still feasible to double it.
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Marchand stated that the NBA will require more than three partners in order to realize this expansion. It’s also encouraging for the league that each of the potential streaming services would want the rights to a different piece of content.
For instance, Amazon is considering bidding for the NBA Playoffs rights, but it’s unclear what other possible buyers would like to provide. Apple is a “wild card,” according to Marchand, and NBCUniversal might still submit a bid. Given its in-house live sports content, it is unlikely that Netflix will make a bid despite rumors to the contrary. Furthermore, YouTube TV stated that while refining its NFL Sunday Ticket products is its first goal, it hasn’t ruled out making an NBA bid.
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Awful Announcing claims that exclusivity and streaming alternatives are other issues that the NBA needs to discuss. The games may also air on cable if the league is able to strike a deal with a platform like as ESPN+, Max, Peacock, Hulu, or even the recently launched Hulu-Disney app.
For instance, this season’s NFL viewership increased by 6% as a result of the mix of streaming and cable. Games that aired on ABC, ESPN, and Thursday Night Football on Amazon Prime Video helped the league gain more viewers.
TV networks, streaming firms, and sports leagues have discovered a possible mutually beneficial alliance. Leagues want a big audience for their games, yet a lot of media companies are having trouble making a profit. Leagues like the NBA and NFL have the ability to shop around for the best deal because there are so many providers accessible.
Partnerships’ specifics are unknown, but additional information should become available in the first quarter of 2024. Basketball fans still don’t know where, when, or how much it will cost them to watch games during the 2025–2026 season unless agreements are finalized.
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