Amazon is making another big move into the sports world with a reported deal in place with the NBA to stream games for at least a decade.
The Athletic reported Friday that Amazon and the NBA have the “framework for a deal” that would begin in the 2025-26 season.
The deal would be a huge addition to Amazon’s growing sports streaming catalog, which already includes the NFL’s Thursday Night Football and live action from several other leagues and teams.
This week Amazon announced that Prime subscribers will get access to Seattle Kraken games as part of a new deal with the NHL franchise in its hometown of Seattle — where the NBA could be arriving soon as part of expansion plans.
It’s not yet known how much Amazon is paying for the NBA rights. The NBA is wrapping up nine-year deals worth about $2.6 billion with ESPN and TNT Sports that end after the 2024-25 season.
The NBA offers its own streaming services called League Pass.
As more people cut the cord, sports leagues are increasingly engaging with tech companies as their existing deals with traditional cable providers expire. Those companies are hungry for valuable content such as live sports — one of the most-watched telecasts — to draw more subscribers to their respective platforms.
