If you weren’t a fan of the NFL’s Wild Card game on Peacock, well here’s some more bad news: The NBA is committing heavily to streaming.
Amazon has agreed to the framework for a deal with the NBA to air a significant chunk of games on Prime Video starting the 2025-26 season, according to a report by The Athletic.
The games will be regular season and postseason games, but could even include the Conference Finals. The deal between the two sides is expected to go on for a decade.
The agreement is not a shocker as it’s been reported for years that Amazon (AMZN) has been interested to be a part of the NBA’s next media rights deal. The league’s current deal with Disney’s (DIS) ABC/ESPN and Warner Bros. Discovery’s (WBD) Turner Sports expires after next season.
Amazon has also been aggressive in pursuing live sports rights, particularly with its hold on NFL’s “Thursday Night Football” which it is reportedly paying around $1 billion annually to carry until 2033.
ESPN is expected to retain its rights with the NBA, as it was reported by Puck on Thursday that a framework has also been agreed upon between the two.
But according to The Athletic, Amazon’s arrival leaves WBD in a battle with Comcast’s (CMCSA) NBC, who are hoping to create a package that brings NBA games to both its television networks and streaming service, Peacock.
The financials have yet to be revealed in the deals of Amazon or ESPN, but the incumbents combined to pay around $2.7 billion annually for the rights. Reports have indicated that the NBA is looking to double — or even triple — that number for this next deal.
