ESPN and Amazon Prime Video are reportedly close to scoring television rights to the National Basketball Association, according to published reports.
ESPN is expected to hold on to its current rights package. Prime Video would be a new outlet for the NBA, and move the league into streaming in a major way.
The other current NBA rightsholder, Warner Bros. Discovery’s TNT Sports, might be in a dogfight with Comcast NBCUniversal for a third slice of NBA games, unless the league elects to have four big TV partners. NBC aired NBA games during the Michael Jordan era, from 1990 through 2002. TNT, the former Turner Sports, has held NBA rights since 1984.
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The NBA’s current nine-year deals are worth $2.6 billion. The league is reportedly looking to double that in the new round of agreements.
According to The Athletic, Amazon and the NBA have a framework of a deal that would include a significant number regular season and post season games.
The long-term deal would reportedly run for 10 years, starting with the 2025-26 season.
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Puck reported that ESPN and the NBA are also close to a new deal to hold onto the league’s biggest package of games, which includes the NBA Finals.
For ESPN, owned by The Walt Disney Co., the new deal could cut the number of games it televises on ABC, ESPN and ESPN Plus.
ESPN and Warner Bros. Discovery had an exclusive negotiating window with the NBA that expired this week without a deal. Both companies also have a right of first refusal that would allow them to match bids by other contenders.
The networks did not respond to requests for comment.
