NBA Commissioner Adam Silver has always strived to expand the NBA as a league and as a business. The NBA is more profitable under Silver than it has ever been in the past, as indicated by the league’s recent $76 billion broadcasting deal. The transaction pivots the NBA more into the streaming landscape, which has many people concerned. Silver references the NFL’s success in the streaming world as a form of justification for the decision.
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Historically, the NBA has held a strong presence on traditional cable television. Over the years, they have expanded into internet television but not fully within streaming services. On July 24, 2024, the NBA announced a massive 11-year media deal which will change the way consumers view basketball.
The deal involves partnerships with The Walt Disney Company (ABC and ESPN), NBCUniversal and Amazon. In the past, the NBA had games available on Hulu, but that was due to Hulu’s access to ESPN and TNT. Amazon will now directly provide these games with a dedicated broadcast team.
The NFL has already made the jump to streaming services, agreeing on a media deal with Netflix to stream on Christmas Day for the next three years. In 2024, the two featured holiday games had a combined international viewership of more than 30 million viewers.
Adam Silver made a guest appearance on ESPN’s Numbers On The Board podcast. During his time with the crew, he dove deep into the league’s shift to streaming and how the NFL’s success foreshadows what is to come with the NBA.
“The question was, would consumers be able to find a game on Amazon Prime or whatever else?” Silver said. “The answer is a resounding ‘yes.’ You know the NFL has witnessed that, with 20 million plus people being able to find a game.”
The NBA is following in the NFL’s footsteps but going a step further. Silver’s new media deal, which will take effect in the 2025-26 season, will feature Amazon Prime coverage throughout the 82-game campaign. That is a significantly larger sample size than the NFL’s two games on Christmas.
Accessibility is huge within modern-day consumerism. People want to access entertainment in a way which is comfortable to them. The NBA is doing their best job to provide different forms of consumption for different fans. It will be a change in how the sport is covered, but it is essential for the ever-changing times.
