Bloomberg reports that negotiations for NBA broadcast and streaming rights are starting to heat up. Current NBA deals expire in 2025; the new agreements are expected to exceed $5 billion in value.
- Currently, Walt Disney and Warner Bros. Discovery share TV and streaming rights to NBA matches, at a value of about $2.7 billion annually.
- Most other media and tech companies have expressed some interest in streaming NBA matches, including Apple, Netflix, Fox, Comcast/NBCUniversal, and Amazon.
- While regular season NBA ratings have been essentially flat over the last few years, the playoffs have seen a recent boost in popularity on cable TV.
- NFL, MLB, and NHL rights for the next several years have already been secured, leaving the NBA as the last major US sports league that's still up for grabs.
- The NBA reportedly wants to make games as widely available as possible, so games airing on a cable network will likely also be made available on a streaming platform as a supplement.