In a landmark move in sports media history, the NBA and Amazon Prime Video have the framework for a deal that will make the streaming service one of the primary hubs for the league's games, executives with direct knowledge of the negotiations say. said. The Athletic.
Prime Video's package is expected to include key regular season and postseason games, and perhaps even some of the conference finals. The final contract is expected to be for at least 10 years and begin in the 2025-2026 season.
As the website Pac reported on Thursday, ESPN/ABC also has a framework in place for a deal and is hopeful that it will be finalized. ESPN/ABC is expected to continue broadcasting the NBA Finals on its network for the duration of the agreement. Like Amazon, ESPN's new deal is expected to last at least 10 years.
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All details have not yet been finalized, but we expect all sides to complete it. The NBA, Amazon and ESPN all declined to comment.
The NBA wants three companies involved in the new deal, but hasn't ruled out adding a fourth.
The NBA is coming off a nine-year contract with ESPN and TNT Sports that will pay them an average of $2.6 billion. These contracts end after the 2024-2025 season.
The development of negotiations between Amazon and ESPN will likely pit incumbent Warner Bros. Discovery, which owns network TNT Sports, against Comcast-owned NBC over the final game package. Warner Bros. Discovery has the right to adjust the deal, but NBC could structure it in a way that makes it difficult.
There is still work left to finalize, but the current package will be slightly reduced to create a third partner. As part of the deal, ESPN plans to reduce the number of games from about 100 to about 80, according to executives briefed on the talks.
The natural landing spot for Amazon's regular-season games could be Thursday nights, when the NFL is already running from September to early January. In recent years, the NBA has moved games between Thursdays to avoid playing against the NFL. After that, we expect to see a significant increase in playoff inventory. Amazon has expressed interest in worldwide rights, making it a key part of the NBA's negotiating strategy as the NBA plans to terminate all domestic and international contracts after the 2024-2025 season.
The NBA has made it clear that it wants to establish the next frontier of viewing with streaming at the forefront.
ESPN, Amazon and the NBA are all expected to complete the deal, which will put a strain on TNT Sports, which has run the NBA since 1984. The company is in a dispute with NBC, which was previously the NBA's primary partner. NBC, which owns streaming service Peacock, wants to return and is competing with Warner Bros. Discovery Sports for a deal.
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(Photo: David Dow/NBAE via Getty Images)
