NBA approves new media deals with Disney (ABC/ESPN), Comcast (NBC), and Amazon for 11 years, $77 billion. Update: NBA REJECTS WBD's (TNT Sports) deal

[RennisDeynolds]

I'm pretty sure Warner Brothers Discovery is going to retain the NBA. They're doing a trial run during their negotiation window with the NBA that runs until May 2024 to do streaming of the NBA on TNT on Max.

With a New Tournament and Streaming Home, the NBA Is a Big Bet for Warner Bros. Discovery

The NBA's first in-season tournament, combined with the launch of B/R Sports on Max, is making for a critical NBA season for WBD Sports, and that's before you factor in upcoming rights talks.

www.hollywoodreporter.com

If WB has proved anything recently, it's that they are all about licensing their shyt out.


I think they'd definitely sell some regular season game streaming to Amazon.

 

[David_TheMan]

Actually go look at the recent Financials. EsPN is profitable


Also Jeff Bezos greenlit a bunch of shytty shows on Prime Video that cost astronomical money that aren't getting traction

I know what you all are saying on the books is technically true, but the current lawsuit and the recent pull of external auditing in to Disney by shareholders is because they typically would write ESPN's loses into the park to cover for espn since it was their jewel.

 

[K-Apps]

From Wrestling Newsletter site Fightful, NBA media right negotiations affecting WBD and Comcast budget for pro wrestling

With Tony Khan’s “important announcement, there has been plenty of speculation regarding a potential broadcast or streaming home for AEW. As of a few weeks ago, there hadn’t been a deal reached between WBD and AEW for Max, but WWE and Universal did reach a deal for Smackdown fairly recently.

Fightful Select has learned that one deal may affect the other in certain ways. NBCUniversal was eager to land Smackdown, which has been viewed as the top Smackdown show as far as viewership and being “football proof.” However, sports may play a role in the dominoes falling.

WBD contacts spoke with Fightful and confirmed a rumor that we heard that they expect NBCU and USA Network to make a bid on NBA programming rights, which have been a staple of TNT for years. This would likely affect the budget that could exist for USA/Universal getting Raw and NXT as well. NBA is expecting a massive increase for the TV rights in 25-26.

This would also affect WBD’s budget, in the event that they somehow lose the NBA. AEW and WBD as of a few weeks ago were unable to come to terms on a deal which we’re told would include AEW television rights, PPV, as well as the library. Those at WBD stated that Khan has a a particular value that he believes the AEW library is worth.

WBD sources that we spoke to said that they’ve been very happy with the AEW partnership and look for it to continue. When we asked about viewership numbers that are often the talking point, one source there noted that it isn’t anything that the company hadn’t anticipated, especially going up against football in the fall.

 

[FakeNews]

Adam Silver interview: The NBA looks to the future

We spoke with NBA commissioner Adam Silver about the league's upcoming media rights negotiations, which will usher the NBA into the streaming era and set the stage for how we watch sports in the future.

sports.yahoo.com

What I'm hearing:

The NBA can't formally negotiate with new partners until April, when its exclusive window with Disney and WBD expires. But preliminary talks are taking place, and the NBA is reportedly seeking to triple its 2014 deal (so something in the $7-8 billion range annually).

• Much of the buzz is around streaming, with Amazon, Apple and Google all firmly in the mix, per sources. Even Netflix, which will stream its first live sports event next month, has emerged as a potential bidder.
• Most expect Disney and WBD to re-up with the NBA, though they're considering smaller packages, per WSJ. NBC may also bid after more than two decades away, and Fox and CBS can't be ruled out.

Why all of this matters: Rights negotiations are always momentous occasions because (a) they happen so rarely and (b) they have a substantial impact on league revenue, which ultimately determines player salaries, team spending and franchise valuations.

TV contenders:

• Disney: ESPN dramatically scaled back its most recent MLB deal, paying nine-figures less and giving up weeknight rights. Don't expect the company to cede that kind of ground here. "We hope to [have] a package that looks pretty similar to what we have now," ESPN's president of content Burke Magnus told The Athletic in August.
• WBD: CEO David Zaslav has been on a cost-cutting crusade and says the company's next NBA deal "will probably look a little bit different." But it's hard to imagine this long-time partner (40 years!) reducing its role too much given that it helps power NBA TV, has the league's flagship show ("Inside the NBA) and just added live sports to Max.
• NBC: "Roundball Rock," anyone? NBC has a rich history with the NBA, having aired games during the Michael Jordan Era (1990-2002). There's more flexibility this time around with USA Network and Peacock, and there's a belief that a "Sunday Night Basketball" program could follow "Sunday Night Football" once the NFL regular season ends.

Streaming contenders:

• Amazon: Prime Video has proven itself with "Thursday Night Football" and is interested in doing something similar for the NBA, according to sources close to the company. Scroll back up and read Silver's description of a redefined viewer experience (multiple feeds, merchandise, etc). Sounds a lot like Amazon, doesn't it?
• Google: The NBA was the first league to launch its own YouTube channel in 2005, so this relationship goes way back and the NBA values YouTube's young, global audience. YouTube TV is also the presenting sponsor of the NBA Finals and has reportedly impressed NBA executives with its handling of "NFL Sunday Ticket."
• Apple: Apple is getting serious about sports, acquiring worldwide rights to MLS and partnering with MLB on "Friday Night Baseball." It would offer the NBA access to hundreds of millions of people globally and its hardware and software could deliver the kind of accessibility Silver mentioned above (the Wemby/Pacers lock screen example).
• Netflix: For years, co-CEO Ted Sarandos said Netflix had no interest in live sports. But over the past 18 months, the company has bid on F1 racing rights, explored buying tennis rights, and announced its first live sports broadcast. While Netflix isn't viewed as a serious bidder for domestic NBA games, it could seek a smaller international package.

What Silver is saying: I asked the commissioner if he had any comment on so many streamers being interested in NBA rights. He didn't reveal much, but I did find it interesting that he voluntarily brought up Google.

"I'll just say, I think we're the only league that has had a relationship with YouTube since prior to Google acquiring them. … This relationship goes back a long way, and I'm rooting for all the other leagues to build on these relationships, whether it's MLS with Apple or the NFL with Amazon."[\quote]

 

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[Rigby.]

Adam Silver interview: The NBA looks to the future

We spoke with NBA commissioner Adam Silver about the league's upcoming media rights negotiations, which will usher the NBA into the streaming era and set the stage for how we watch sports in the future.

sports.yahoo.com

Seems like the most lucrative thing for the NBA would be to segment this further and let more cooks in the kitchen. Haven't followed this too much though

 

[Rev]

 

[K-Apps]

Amazon wants playoff games from John Ourand of SBJ:

Amazon’s top sports executive said the $1.5 trillion company wants to add the NBA playoffs to Prime Video starting in 2025.

Speaking on the podcast I host with Andrew Marchand, Amazon Global Head of Sports Jay Marine said that his company is negotiating for more than just a package of regular-season games.
“Would something like the playoffs be an important part of [our bid]? Yes, I think that’s fair to say,” Marine said on the podcast, which posts Nov. 22.

Several media and tech companies have expressed interest in cutting a deal for NBA rights, including incumbents ESPN and Turner, plus Amazon, Apple, Google, NBC and Netflix. The NBA has a 45-day exclusive negotiating window with ESPN and Turner that starts March 9.

When asked why Amazon Prime would be interested in NBA rights, Marine highlighted the league’s young fan br and global appeal.
The NBA seems to be warming to the idea of allowing a streaming company to have meaningful games. Speaking at SBJ’s Media Innovators conference earlier this month, the NBA’s top media executive spoke of how Prime Video has more than 200 million global subscribers, which gives the streaming service a much bigger reach than even broadcast networks.

“The definition of reach is changing,” said Bill Koenig, the NBA’s president of global content and media distribution. “There’s a lot of opportunity that change will bring.”

All of this suggests that Amazon should be considered a front-runner in the NBA sweepstakes and likely will wind up with a package that includes meaningful games.

 

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[Saysumthinfunnymike]

I'm on the fence of whether I think they should be worried. It's true that cable isn't bending over backwards for ESPN/TNT anymore so those networks are not going to have the money in the future to keep paying these high increases. However, Amazon and the like will swoop in and pay big money.

The one problem I do see is that for as many subs as Amazon has most people don't watch Thursday Night Football compared to if it was on regular TV.

 

[Mook]

I'm on the fence of whether I think they should be worried. It's true that cable isn't bending over backwards for ESPN/TNT anymore so those networks are not going to have the money in the future to keep paying these high increases. However, Amazon and the like will swoop in and pay big money.

The one problem I do see is that for as many subs as Amazon has most people don't watch Thursday Night Football compared to if it was on regular TV.

You don’t need prime to watch it. Its on the front page soon as you go to Amazon.com

I haven’t had prime all year and caught two games.

 

[tremonthustler1]

You don’t need prime to watch it. Its on the front page soon as you go to Amazon.com

I haven’t had prime all year and caught two games.

As someone who needs Prime to watch some Yankee games, it just doesn't work with older heads. Any time there's a Yankee game on Amazon, I gotta stay behind and set it up for my dad because he don't know about logins and navigating that stuff.

What makes it worse and this is as a baseball fan, if too many streaming services get involved, that's not good. If you're a Yankee fan, you need

YES, Apple, Peacock, and Prime just to be able to watch most of the games (not including Fox and ESPN). If the NBA starts doing that, you'd need your local team's network, Max, Prime, Netflix and maybe Apple just to get through an NBA season. At a certain point, league pass doesn't seem so bad if they didn't black out your team.

 

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