How you watch NBA games may soon look very different as it is being reported that both Amazon and Apple are interested in buying rights to NBA games.
According to a report from CNBC, the binding war for NBA rights are heating up even before it has started. It is being reported that NBC Sports plans to make a major push for NBA rights against Disney and Warner Bros. Discovery.
The big news for cord cutters is that Apple and Amazon have reportedly expressed interest in offering some NBA games as streaming only events on Amazon Prime and Apple TV+.
Apple TV+ is hoping sports will help it grow as it struggles with a limited catalog of movies and TV shows.
Amazon already streams NBA games in Brazil, a partnership it would like to expand into new areas, including the United States.
There are also rumors that Warner Bros. Discovery may look at moving some NBA games to the newly merged HBO Max service.
Increasingly sports have been looking at streaming as a way to get more money. The NFL moved Thursday Night NFL football to Amazon. MLS moved all their games to Apple TV+, and College Football is coming to Peacock this fall.
Right now, formal talks for the new NBA TV rights won’t start until April 2024, but plans are already being made on all sides. Disney and Warner Bros. Discovery’s current contract runs through the 2024-2025 season.