There is no doubt in mind when it comes to the NBA being one of the most viewed leagues in the entire world. Over the years, viewership has only experienced consistent growth every year. This comes as no surprise as every season has a new storyline created, a new superstar to watch out for, and a new rivalry to witness. In short, the NBA always has something interesting going on.
However, fans cannot witness these things if broadcast companies don’t have an agreement for streaming rights. For the last couple of years, Bally Sports, a project under Diamond Sports Group had local streaming rights to several teams in the NBA. Recently, Diamond declared bankruptcy as they weren’t able to maintain or afford their contracts. It was reported that 15 NBA teams came under the Bally Sports ecosystem.
“Diamond Sports Group, which bought the package of regional sports networks that includes Bally Sports South in 2019, declared bankruptcy in March.”
— ramsey (@jwr082OO2) August 2, 2023
Some teams included the Los Angeles Clippers, Indiana Pacers, Orlando Magic, Detroit Pistons, Miami Heat, and the Memphis Grizzlies. Diamond also owned streaming rights to multiple NFL and MLB teams as well. Now, the streaming rights of these teams are up for grabs as several companies have already come forward to acquire them. Many companies can benefit from Bally Sports going bankrupt as some of them already stream other sports.
Which companies are most likely to acquire local NBA streaming rights?
Long story short, many companies are eligible and successful enough to acquire local streaming rights from the NBA. Disney and Warner Brothers. Discovery are already partners with the sports giant. They generate a revenue of $2.5 billion every year via live telecasts, sports entertainment shows, and various other projects. However, their deals will conclude in 2025 opening up a window to potentially acquire a 10-figure deal.
Amazon, Apple, DirecTV, Disney, and Google have expressed interest in streaming local NBA games, per @business
(h/t @awfulannouncing ) pic.twitter.com/stFfB3pPKJ
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) August 8, 2023
There are a couple of other tech giants out there that can acquire local streaming rights. Apple TV is a major frontrunner as it’s known for collaborating with athletes to produce documentaries or series. Apple has the right to stream Major League Soccer worldwide. Additionally, they also have the right to stream two MLB games every week as well. They recently lost a deal to Google’s YouTube for the NFL’s Sunday Ticket.
However, this doesn’t avoid the fact that YouTube, Amazon, and various other local broadcast companies are in serious competition. While ESPN and Warner Bros. broadcast games and live updates worldwide, it will be much more difficult for companies to match that level of success with local streaming rights.
