Since 2021, the NBA has been preparing and following in the footsteps of the NFL by seeking coverage and streaming rights with various providers. Like the NFL, the league intends to continue updating its streaming offerings to allow different enterprises to compete for the rights to broadcast NBA game coverage.
One of these giants is attempting to compete against other media titans such as Disney’s ESPN/ABC, Warner Bros., and TNT. The giant now looking to dominate the streaming industry is Amazon.
To most media experts, while there is no guarantee on how the league will ultimately approach its coverage strategy, Amazon is headed on the right path to securing Amazon NBA rights for league coverage and streaming.
NBA’s Streaming Service Strategy
After the NFL signed colossal multi-media agreements worth up to $110 billion over 11 years, there was no other option for other professional sports leagues but to do the same. So that’s precisely what the NBA has set forth to pursue.
Since then, the NBA has settled to search for contracts that would bring up to $75 billion for selling its broadcasting and streaming rights and complete coverage of all games on the NBA schedule. However, the league’s main target is to sign similar multi-year agreements with major networks and streaming providers.
These agreements could extend up to nine seasons, for which the league expects to obtain up to $8 billion a year. That has placed the NBA second behind the NFL as the league with the largest streaming revenue set at $10 billion per year.
Amazon’s Position in The Streaming Services Industry
It is unusual to find Prime Video comparisons with other streaming platforms in the industry, such as Netflix or Disney+. The reason, at least to most experts, is quite simple. It all amounts to the fact that it is impossible to compare the number of Amazon Prime users with only Prime Video customers.
Still, Amazon Prime Video has reached almost the number of Netflix subscribers. Netflix is topping 220 million users, while Amazon has now reached over 200 million subscribers on its platform.
Still, Amazon has continued to make some concrete steps to become a major sports streaming service. In November last year, the league closed an agreement with Amazon to broadcast twenty games yearly for the next three seasons. This goes further than just covering NBA player stats.
Amazon is Ahead of the Competition
The move makes Amazon the first audiovisual league partner capable of covering more than just NBA picks and parlays. The technology giant will broadcast games on Fridays and Saturdays and create a content series in mid-2023. This might not seem like much, yet Amazon is already ahead of the competition.
While D-League coverage is a significant success for Amazon NBA rights, it’s not the first league it covers for the NBA. In 2018, Amazon and the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) announced the signing of a multi-year agreement.
The season was broadcast on Prime Video starting on May 14, 2018, the first time Amazon negotiated exclusive rights for a professional basketball league after experimenting with streaming sports content with Thursday Night Football and the Premier League.
Amazon’s Proven NBA International Coverage Experience
Prime Video is also the new streaming service for the National Basketball Association in Brazil. The official long-term agreement includes exclusive games and special league content rights. The platform will stream up to 87 games during the league’s 2022-2023 season.
Amazon’s service broadcasts up to four exclusive NBA matchups weekly on Tuesdays and Thursdays during the regular season, in addition to 24 playoff games. So there is no question Amazon now has experience streaming major events, which puts the streaming provider up against any competitor.
This proved that Amazon could do more than just cover NBA team stats for one of the most significant sports leagues in the world.
Amazon NBA Streaming Odds
Not only is Amazon one of the largest streaming platforms in the world. The company has proven that it’s capable of properly streaming NBA-related events. With this new hype in motion and a strategy to conquer major basketball league events, there is no question Amazon is a strong contender to dominate league streaming rights for 2023.
Amazon currently has -220 moneyline odds of securing a contract against +150 odds to compete and generate hype about the strategy.
NBA odds are high for Amazon to start the year with solid Amazon NBA rights and an official contract with the league.
If you love sports and want more sports betting information follow us as @InsidersBetDig on Twitter and sign up to our mailing list for free betting picks.