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Amazon’s $19.8billion NBA deal set to sweep up two NBA champions plus poach top TNT and ESPN talent
Amazon have just entered the basketball market and are looking to disrupt everything. The $2.35trillion mega corporation has existed in the sports scene for a while but 2025/26 will see Prime Video take on the NBA. Charles Barkley and Shaquile O’Neal are currently part of Warner Bro’s TNTGetty The NBA announced in July that a new $77billion 11-year TV deal will kick in with ESPN, returning NBC and newcomers Amazon Prime Video to have the rights. To go ahead with Prime Video meant a rejection of TNT Sports, something that led to a legal battle and eventually ended with TNT leasing their infamous Inside the NBA show to ESPN. Amazon’s deal is streaming-only and they have the rights to the playoffs, six conference finals, the In-Season tournament and regular season games. The company will pay around $1.8bn a year for the rights, meaning a total deal for $19.8bn for the 11 years. It was only weeks ago Amazon landed a lead host for its upcoming NBA studio coverage with a verbal agreement made with Taylor Rooks. The 32-year-old will be their NBA pregame, halftime and postgame host according to the New York Times. Prime Video also secured NBA champion and Dallas Mavericks legend Dirk Nowitzki as an analyst, the 46-year-old has been teasing a committed role in the sports media world. More hires are expected with three-time NBA champion Dwyane Wade rumoured to have held talks about a position in the studio or as in-game commentator with Amazon Such moves by Prime Video is in similar vein to their NFL coverage, Prime Video have aired the NFL since 2023 and at the time went with newcomers and younger ex-players. With former players like Ryan Fitzpatrick, Andrew Whitworth and Richard Sherman part of the coverage, this was a stark contrast to the established networks who have an array of older NFL players. Taylor Rooks will lead Amazon’s NBA coverage Hosts and ex-players are not the only talent Amazon are targeting with reports coming out that Prime Video are closing in on a deal to make Kevin Harlan their No.2 NBA play-by-player. The streaming platforms have already secured Ian Eagle with an agreement that he will call the top games. Shaquille O’Neal is yet to agree to a new deal but it is reported that he has moved closer to agreeing a deal to stay on the show Inside the NBA when it airs on ESPN. Meanwhile Charles Barkley sparked rumours when he said on The Dan Patrick Show, he is talking with NBC and Amazon about ‘moving on’ from Inside the NBA. ESPN are also yet to decide whether they will add a third person to their current NBA finals pairings of Mike Breen and Doris Burke. While other rights holders NBC are expected to have Mike Tirico and Noah Eagle as their main game callers.
Amazon have just entered the basketball market and are looking to disrupt everything.
The $2.35trillion mega corporation has existed in the sports scene for a while but 2025/26 will see Prime Video take on the NBA.
The NBA announced in July that a new $77billion 11-year TV deal will kick in with ESPN, returning NBC and newcomers Amazon Prime Video to have the rights.
To go ahead with Prime Video meant a rejection of TNT Sports, something that led to a legal battle and eventually ended with TNT leasing their infamous Inside the NBA show to ESPN.
Amazon’s deal is streaming-only and they have the rights to the playoffs, six conference finals, the In-Season tournament and regular season games.
The company will pay around $1.8bn a year for the rights, meaning a total deal for $19.8bn for the 11 years.
It was only weeks ago Amazon landed a lead host for its upcoming NBA studio coverage with a verbal agreement made with Taylor Rooks.
The 32-year-old will be their NBA pregame, halftime and postgame host according to the New York Times.
Prime Video also secured NBA champion and Dallas Mavericks legend Dirk Nowitzki as an analyst, the 46-year-old has been teasing a committed role in the sports media world.
More hires are expected with three-time NBA champion Dwyane Wade rumoured to have held talks about a position in the studio or as in-game commentator with Amazon
Such moves by Prime Video is in similar vein to their NFL coverage, Prime Video have aired the NFL since 2023 and at the time went with newcomers and younger ex-players.
With former players like Ryan Fitzpatrick, Andrew Whitworth and Richard Sherman part of the coverage, this was a stark contrast to the established networks who have an array of older NFL players.
Hosts and ex-players are not the only talent Amazon are targeting with reports coming out that Prime Video are closing in on a deal to make Kevin Harlan their No.2 NBA play-by-player.
The streaming platforms have already secured Ian Eagle with an agreement that he will call the top games.
Shaquille O’Neal is yet to agree to a new deal but it is reported that he has moved closer to agreeing a deal to stay on the show Inside the NBA when it airs on ESPN.
Meanwhile Charles Barkley sparked rumours when he said on The Dan Patrick Show, he is talking with NBC and Amazon about ‘moving on’ from Inside the NBA.
ESPN are also yet to decide whether they will add a third person to their current NBA finals pairings of Mike Breen and Doris Burke.
While other rights holders NBC are expected to have Mike Tirico and Noah Eagle as their main game callers.
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