NBA commissioner Adam Silver stated in Las Vegas that he expects the league’s local streaming hub to launch by the 2027-28 season. Meanwhile, temporary solutions are being developed for teams whose in-market deals were affected by the closure of Main Street Sports RSNs.
The commissioner did not name specific media companies interested in a long-term in-market distribution partnership with the NBA. His comments indicated that at least one major streaming service is being considered. As a result, the league may partner with a global provider.
The NBA reached a turning point when Amazon’s Prime Video signed an 11-year, $19.8 billion rights agreement in July 2024. As part of that deal, Amazon acquired 66 regular-season games per cycle. Although this is a global agreement, Silver noted that many technology companies that have recently secured broad live-sports distribution deals “are now seeing that value on the local level as well.”
However, Amazon does not appear as committed to local sports as Google’s YouTube or ESPN. In a recent three-year renewal with Major League Baseball, ESPN secured in-market streaming rights for six clubs (Diamondbacks, Guardians, Rockies, Twins, Padres, and Mariners). Though this arrangement will not be fully implemented until the 2027 season.
While ESPN has not commented on pursuing a similar arrangement with the NBA, all options remain under consideration as Jimmy Pitaro’s team continues to strengthen the direct-to-consumer platform.
Similar to NBC and Netflix, ESPN’s updated MLB contract expires at the end of the 2028 season. Afterward, commissioner Rob Manfred aims to consolidate all clubs’ streaming rights into a league-controlled package.
The collapse of Main Street Sports RSNs accelerated baseball’s efforts to control in-market games, leaving nine MLB clubs without local distribution. When Main Street closed, the NBA was even more affected, with 13 teams needing new local distribution partners.
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Eric Butler is a Contributor for Dice City Sports. You can follow him on Instagram and X via @ReportandOpine
