• Loading stock data...
Thursday, May 29, 2025

Amazon Is Proving It’s A Contender To Land NBA Rights

  • The NBA’s next multi-year rights package could fetch $50 billion to $75 billion.
  • Amazon proving it can draw younger, harder-to-reach viewers.
Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports

Amazon is off to a strong start with the NFL’s “Thursday Night Football.” Given its early success, the e-commerce giant is making the case that it can take on the next mega sports rights package: the NBA.

The NBA’s current U.S. media deals with Disney’s ESPN/ABC and Warner Bros. Discovery’s TNT expire after the 2024-25 season.

The league will likely seek $50 billion to $75 billion for its next multi-year package, said sources. Amazon is paying the NFL around $1 billion a year to exclusively stream TNF through 2033.

Amazon has long been cited as a potential NBA bidder. But every week it defies expectations with TNF, that theory becomes more of a reality.

“The (NBA) has certainly done very well for a long time with ESPN and Turner. But interest in the league — and its strategic importance — are only growing,” said John Kosner, the former NBA and ESPN executive turned investor and advisor.

Amazon Continues Strong ‘Thursday Night Football’ Viewership

Amazon averaged 13.4 million viewers for third exclusive TNF’ stream.
October 3, 2022

Commissioner Adam Silver’s NBA is the most technology-forward sports league. Amazon believes TNF’s better-than-anticipated performance — and built-in audience of over 200 million Amazon Prime customers — makes it attractive to the global NBA, said sources. 

  • By Nielsen data, TNF is averaging 11.3 million viewers — up 11% from the first four games last year across NFL Network and a tri-cast of Fox Sports, NFLN, and Amazon. 
  • By its own metrics, Amazon Prime Video is averaging 13.3 million viewers for TNF through four games. 
  • Amazon is proving it can draw a harder-to-reach audience: TNF viewers are eight years younger (46 years old) than those on TV networks. 
  • TNF is averaging 2.7 million viewers in the advertiser-coveted 18-34 demographic, up 67% from last year.  

The NBA has already embraced streaming in China. The league boasts a $1.5 billion-a-year deal with Tencent Holdings that enables it to reach over 500 million basketball fans in China. 

Similar to the U.S., that rights deal runs through the 2024-25 season.

Big Tech vs. Legacy Media

The NBA surpassed $10 billion in revenue for the first time with the 2021-2022 season. Jeff Bezos’ Amazon won’t get the NBA without a fight. ESPN and TNT will battle to retain their packages, said sources. 

The two companies will pay the NBA a combined $24 billion under the current nine-year deal, which kicked in during the 2016-17 season. 

It’s still to be determined how the NBA will split up the next rights package. Sports betting giants will also be looking to carve off a piece of NBA media rights to create a “watch and bet” environment, said sources.

With a bidding war looming between tech and TV competitors, the NBA’s almost certain to double its current rights fees to at least $50 billion, said sources. 

That would jack up its annual media payout to the $5 billion range from the current $2.6 billion. ESPN pays $1.4 billion vs. TNT’s $1.2 billion (ESPN’s sister Disney network ABC gets exclusive rights to the NBA Finals). 

But the bidding could go even higher. CNBC previously reported the NBA could seek $75 billion for its next rights package. Amazon and the NBA declined to comment.

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

NBA East Finals Delivers Strong TV Ratings, but West Is Struggling

The Knicks and Thunder are both up 3–1 in their conference finals series.
Mar 16, 2025; Fort Worth, TX, USA; UAB Blazers forward Yaxel Lendeborg (3) drives to the basket as Memphis Tigers forward Nicholas Jourdain (2) defends during the first half at Dickies Arena.

Prospects Picking College Over NBA Draft at Record Rate

The 2025 NBA draft has its lowest number of early entrants since 2015.

Terry Bradshaw Calls Steelers Pursuit of Aaron Rodgers ‘a Joke’

The Pro Football Hall of Famer lambastes the courtship of the mercurial star.
Apr 25, 2025; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Indiana Pacers forward Pascal Siakam (43) against Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) in the first half during game three of first round for the 2024 NBA Playoffs at Fiserv Forum.

Marc Lasry: NBA Valuations Won’t Keep Skyrocketing

Lasry sold his Bucks stake in 2023 at a 218% increase over the 2014 purchase price.

Featured Today

How Rolex Paved the Way for Luxury’s Love Affair With Tennis

“It’s almost impossible to think about tennis without thinking about Rolex.”
Mar 23, 2025; Miami, FL, USA; Alexandra Eala (PHI) reacts after winning a point against Madison Keys (USA)(not pictured) on day six of the Miami Open at Hard Rock Stadium.
May 24, 2025

Alex Eala Is Defying Her Country’s Odds to Make French Open History

The Philippines native has overcome a unique set of financial odds.
May 24, 2025

Indiana Is the Center of the Basketball Universe—Thanks to Both Pro Teams

The Fever and Pacers are thriving at the same time.
Around the Horn - October 26, 2020
May 23, 2025

‘Quirky, Nutty, Bombastic’: 10 ‘Around the Horn’ Faces on Their Top Moments

“A quirky, nutty, bombastic, mostly wrong, sometimes right, crazy sports family.”
Around the Horn

Behind the Scenes of Around the Horn’s Final Days

FOS followed Tony Reali at the penultimate taping of the ESPN icon.
May 21, 2025

Paige Bueckers’s WNBA Debut Delivers 121% Ratings Bump on Ion

Friday’s doubleheader averaged 612,000 viewers.
May 22, 2025

NBC Eyes MLB Rights, Looks to Own Sunday Nights Year-Round

The league continues to shop media rights being forfeited by ESPN.
Sponsored

Game On: Portfolio Players Stories, Brought to You by E*TRADE from Morgan Stanley

In Episode 7 of Portfolio Players, go inside the boardroom with Avenue Capital CEO and former Milwaukee Bucks co-owner Marc Lasry on Giannis’s future, women’s sports, and upstart leagues like TGL and Unrivaled. 
Dec 9, 2024; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11) watches as center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) celebrates after making a three point basket to clinch a win against the Toronto Raptors near the end of the fourth quarter at Scotiabank Arena.
May 20, 2025

NBA Playoff TV Ratings Up 3% Ahead of Late-Round Test

Games are averaging 4.17 million viewers across ABC, ESPN, and TNT.
May 18, 2025; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Scottie Scheffler is interviewed after winning the PGA Championship golf tournament at Quail Hollow.
May 20, 2025

PGA Championship TV Ratings Dip As Scottie Scheffler Dominates Again

CBS drew an average of 4.76 million viewers for Sunday’s final round.
May 20, 2025

Caitlin Clark, Fever Draw Record 2.7M Viewers vs. Sky

Caitlin Clark recorded her third career triple-double.
Julie Foudy
exclusive
May 16, 2025

Julie Foudy Out at ESPN After Two Decades

Foudy and ESPN failed to reach an agreement on a new deal.