https://theathletic.com/5450064/2024/04/26/nba-broadcasting-rights-amazon-prime-video/?source=fbhq
In what will be a landmark move in sports media history, the NBA and Amazon Prime Video have the framework of a deal that will make the streaming service one of the main homes for the league’s games, executives with direct knowledge of the talks told The Athletic.
It is expected that Prime Video’s package will include significant regular-season and postseason games, perhaps even some conference finals. The anticipation is that the final contract will be for at least a decade and begin the 2025-2026 season.
ESPN/ABC, as the website Puck reported Thursday, also has a framework of a deal with the expectations that an agreement will be completed. ESPN/ABC is expected to keep the NBA Finals on its networks for the duration of its deals. Like Amazon, ESPN’s new contract also is expected to be at least a decade in length.
All of the details are not finalized yet, but all sides are under the expectations they will get done. The NBA, Amazon and ESPN all declined to comment.
There will be a third part (TNT or NBC) and possible a fourth partner.
The fact they're announcing this so quickly probably means there's going to be a pretty sizeable bump in the cap.
11 comments
Why is amazon prime all of a sudden buying up all the sports?? 🫣
Yo ho ho.
And in 2025… amazon prime price increase.
Their video player sucks, damn. Guess I’m gonna pirate these too
So does this effect the locals?
I wonder if games will be on Twitch like Thursday night football
I guess I will be missing games moving forward, this stinks
Yuck. I’ll sail the seas before continuing to use Amazon for live sports.
This kind of was inevitable. I will say Prime
was great quality for Thursday night NFL games. Plus they would embed lots of cool stats you could scroll through with your remote. I think it could be great
I fucking hate Amazon, but I hate Apple more so I’m glad it’s not them. Now I just gotta find a friend with Prime because I don’t use Amazon.
This sucks. Watching live sports in an app where you can’t easily click over to other games or to Deadliest Catch during commercials sucks. I hate this.