The NBA has announced a new media rights deal that will see games broadcast on NBC, Amazon Prime Video, ABC, ESPN, Peacock, and TNT starting in the 2025-2026 season. This will end the long-standing relationship with TNT but expand the reach of professional basketball. Fans will need to subscribe to Peacock and Amazon Prime Video to access the full slate of games, in addition to ESPN’s upcoming streaming service. NBCUniversal, Amazon, and Disney will distribute NBA content across various platforms. The deal also includes expanded coverage of WNBA games on these networks. The NBA will still offer its League Pass subscription service for fans. The value of live sports events for broadcast groups is highlighted by the increase in the value of the new media rights deal to approximately $76 billion, nearly triple the previous figure. The NBA playoffs have seen high viewership in recent years, with last year being the most watched in 11 years. The consistency of the games offered, known as “inventory”, is important in negotiations for sports broadcast rights, as it ensures a consistent audience and is attractive to streaming services looking to build their content libraries. The new media deal marks a significant shift in how NBA games will be watched and accessed by fans in the future.
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