Amazon and the NBA sign deal for broadcasting partnership

The NBA’s next media rights deal has been a looming question as the league’s contracts with ESPN and TNT expire after the 2024-25 season. Now, we know that Amazon Prime Video has agreed to be a new partner in the package. According to The Athletic’s Andrew Marchand, Amazon’s deal with the NBA would begin with the 2025-26 season and is expected to last at least 10 years. The agreement would include regular season and postseason games, with the potential to include conference finals and global broadcast rights.

Financial terms of the deal have not been disclosed, but it is reported that ESPN paid $1.6 billion per year in its agreement, while TNT paid $1.2 billion per year. ESPN/ABC is also reportedly working on a new deal that would see ABC getting exclusive rights to the NBA Finals for at least a decade. However, ESPN may televise fewer games under the new package, potentially opening up broadcasts to another TV partner.

The question of who will broadcast those games remains, with NBC reportedly interested in regaining NBA broadcast rights. NBC has been without NBA games since 2002 but is eager to provide content for its streaming platform, Peacock. Warner Bros. Discovery, the corporate owner of TNT, has the right to match any deal for NBA broadcasts, as losing those telecasts would leave a major gap in the network’s programming. Amazon’s NBA broadcasts could potentially be streamed on Thursday nights, a slot currently occupied by the NFL’s Thursday Night Football broadcasts.

Additionally, Google is interested in carrying NBA League Pass, the league’s out-of-market broadcast package, according to reports. This indicates that the NBA’s media landscape could see significant shifts in the coming years.