PwC Says New RSN Deals Likely To Elevate Media Revenue Past Gate Receipts For Sports

Twenty-seven RSN deals across MLB, NBA and NHL are set to expire from '18-22, a development that will help the sports media category overtake gate revenue for the first time as the industry's largest segment, according to data from PricewaterhouseCoopers' Sports Outlook Report released this week. Overall, media revenue is expected to hit $20.1B next year, compared to the ticket segment’s $19.6B. PwC’s annual study, which tracks sales of tickets, merchandise, media rights and sponsorships generated by U.S. and Canada-based pro and college sports properties, forecasts that the four categories will combine to see growth every year from '17-21 for an overall increase of 13.4%. This year's report is the third year in a row that PwC suggests that the presence of long-term media rights will help guarantee revenue stability in the sports industry.

The chart below shows the number of expiring RSN deals in the coming years by sport.