With the MLS having recently completed its deals with Apple and FOX, four of America’s five major sports leagues have their media rights secured for the long term. The only one left is the NBA.
The league has been at the center of much speculation regarding who will get in on the bidding and just how high the dollar figures will go. ESPN/ABC and Turner currently have the national rights for the games. Certainly, they will face competition once negotiations begin.
According to Bill Shea of The Athletic, it could be a few months before we see any serious action. He wrote this week that he expects that the NBA will not start hearing pitches until the summer.
Like every other major league, streaming platforms have been bandied about as potential future homes for the NBA. Amazon, HBO Max, and Apple have all expressed some level of interest. Now that it has secured the rights to NFL Sunday Ticket, Google’s YouTubeTV is seen as a potential player as well.
The league’s expiring deals will be worth $24 billion when they come to an end. Commissioner Adam Silver is said to be looking to make $75 billion for the upcoming deals.
With no movement expected for months, all anyone can do right now is speculate. Whether it is about the media companies involved or the amount they are willing to pay, certainly there will be no shortage of speculation between now and when new deals are announced.
