NBA is reportedly attracting Netflix and Amazon after success of In-Season Tournament

According to Sports Business Journal reports, many streaming platforms such as Netflix have been showing “some interest” in buying into the transmission rights for the NBA’s newest In-Season Tournament, especially after their successful first stage of the competition. 

“We are in the sports business, but we’re in the part that we bring the most value to, which is the drama of sport,” said Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos, who also shared that they’re “investing heavily in live capabilities.”

This was precisely what NBA Commissioner Adam Silver was hoping to achieve with the league’s latest invention, as he’s been developing the In-Season cup for years now, hoping to attract investment.

Netflix Reportedly Interested In NBA In-Season Tournament Rights. https://t.co/v6ekSLKCY8 via @FOS

— Andrew Hazard (@AndrewOHazard) November 28, 2023

“This is a concept that has been rumbling around the league office for about 15 years,” Silver acknowledged. “It’s not a new concept in sports. For those that follow particularly international soccer, it’s a long tradition of having in-season tournaments … so we thought, what a perfect opportunity for a global league like the NBA, and it’s a perfect fit for our game.”

The In-Season Tournament’s group stages are over as teams are already engaging in the quarterfinals and will finally end the last rounds in Las Vegas. As the first edition unfolds, the competition is slowly earning some new fans, including basketball players.

Kevin Durant recently counted himself as a satisfied customer of the NBA’s new tournament, as he revealed that the game’s atmosphere provides a different vibe from the regular-season exhibitions.

“It’s not really how we feel, it’s about how the consumer feels about what they see. Hopefully they enjoy it,” the Phoenix star explained. “Whatever the consumer and the fan wants, the NBA and Adam Silver will do their best to give it to them. Us as players will continue to go about our business as we always do.”

Amazon has also shown interest in acquiring the rights to transmit the league’s postseason to add value to their membership

Just as Amazon presented their exclusive transmission of the NFL’s first-ever Black Friday game last week, the streaming company is reportedly showing great interest in acquiring rights for the NBA’s playoffs so they can add more value to their viewer’s membership.

The league has been looking into bids for its new media rights deal set for 2025, as Amazon’s Global Head of Sports, Jay Marine, recently shared why the streaming platform is eyeing to get some competitive basketball action to reach a younger fan base.

“Would something like the playoffs be an important part of [our bid]? Yes, I think that’s fair to say,” he said in a recent interview.

“What fits is that it is one of the biggest leagues in the world, and people care about it,” Marine added. “At the end of the day, do Prime members care about it? Is it important to their life? And as a result, can it be meaningful in terms of the value it adds to Prime members and the Prime program? And I think with the NBA, it is true on all of those fronts.”

Other major media companies have also shown great interest, such as ESPN, Apple, Google, Turner, NBC and as mentioned before, Netflix. It has been reported that on March 9, both ESPN and Turner will share a 45-day exclusive window to negotiate with the NBA.