The NBA is “seeking new decade-long -- or longer” -- media rights contracts that will “alter how it traditionally delivers games, with streaming becoming the principal distribution method,” according to sources cite by Andrew Marchand of THE ATHLETIC. While ESPN/ABC and TNT Sports “remain intensely interested and very well could retain their rights,” it is “nearly assured that a new tech partner will join the mix, with Amazon Prime Video the perceived favorite.” Meanwhile, NBC “covets returning the NBA to its broadcast network and streaming service, Peacock.” Sources say that there will be “at least three separate packages,” which is the NBA’s “preference, but the idea of four has not been ruled out.” Sources say that the notion that a pure streamer, like Amazon, “could have significant games, including conference finals and perhaps even the NBA Finals at some point over the life of a long-term deal is a possibility.” The NBA "would like contracts for 10 years or maybe longer” because of the “array of companies in the marketplace, which the NBA believes may shrink as streaming continues to replace cable television.” ESPN will have its own full direct-to-consumer service in 2025, and sources said that ESPN and the NBA have “talked about the league taking a minority equity stake in the network,” but that is “on the backburner until the rights deals are completed” (THE ATHLETIC, 4/22).
RELATED: NBA's TV negotiation window to pass without deal
