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Sources: ESPN, TNT exploring possibility of carrying fewer NBA … – Sports Business Journal
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ESPN and TNT, which carry “roughly 165 nationally televised games combined” this NBA season, are “exploring signing up for smaller packages” as the networks get set to bid for the next round of NBA media rights, according to sources cited by Sharma & Simonetti of the WALL STREET JOURNAL. That arrangement would “help them hang onto a premier asset in American media without breaking the bank.” Those companies already are “in renewal talks with the NBA, with an exclusive negotiation period set to expire in April.” If ESPN and TNT buy fewer games, that would “allow the league to create a package for a streaming video player.” Amazon and others have indicated that they would “find it even more appealing if the NBA could package national TV rights with local-market rights.” The league is “looking at doing just that,” as the Diamond Sports bankruptcy is “expected to accelerate those efforts.” The NBA “hasn’t said publicly what fee increase it is seeking,” but “tripling the last agreement” would mean a deal worth about $78B over a decade. Streamers, meanwhile, “see sports as a subscriber magnet.” YouTube and Amazon each have major NFL packages, while Apple has a deal with MLS. If Diamond is “forced into Chapter 7 liquidation,” the NBA would “take back the media rights in 15 markets.” In the short term, the league would “have to broadcast and distribute those games itself,” with the NBA App “serving as a platform for teams’ own streaming services.” A source said that the NBA has offered Diamond and its creditors a “variety of options to keep its channels broadcasting games, including extensions lasting one year or several years, with slightly discounted fees” (WALL STREET JOURNAL, 10/18).
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