Jon Giegengack’s Post

Why are sports rights getting more expensive, even as many bidders are strapped for cash? Because they satisfy a perfect storm of needs shared by both networks and streamers. 🏀 They're unique: everyone has high profile originals now. But there's only one NBA or NFL or MLS. In our new sports survey, 81% of fans said they would sign up for a new subscription if they needed it to watch their favorite sport. ⚽ Sports deliver more time on platform: for $500 million a year, Netflix gets about 150 hours of WWE RAW. The "Rebel Moon" movies cost $166 million, for 5 hours of content. 🏈 ROI that is predictable and reliable: Live sports don't get derailed by Rotten Tomatoes - fans will tune in every time under almost any circumstances. In fact, our survey found 79% of fans care more about their favorite sport than anything else they watch. For more insight and analysis, Kayla Cobb wrote a great article in TheWrap about the high stakes battle for the National Basketball Association (NBA) TV rights ⤵ #sportsmedia #streaming #broadcast #OTT

When the NBA struck a landmark broadcast rights deal last month, it said its primary objective was to “maximize the reach and accessibility of our games for our fans.” In today’s terms, accessibility means making more of the season available to fans who prefer to stream games. #Streaming continues to influence the rising sums of national sports deals, as tech companies like Amazon and Apple make big plays for sports rights and force traditional media companies to adapt to better compete. The total annual value of all U.S. #sportsrights payments could reach nearly $30 billion this year across broadcast, cable and streaming, according to S&P Global Market Intelligence. It projects that that number could reach almost $35 billion by 2027. With that, The Current broke down the rights deals for the U.S. major leagues, sport by sport, to help marketers understand the emerging opportunity.

Warner Bros. Discovery and the NBA: A Strategic Settlement with Long-Term Implications Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) has reached a pivotal settlement with the NBA, resolving a legal dispute and securing a lasting role in professional basketball broadcasting over the next decade. While WBD will lose its rights to air NBA games on TNT, it will retain international broadcast rights and the ability to create and distribute NBA-centric content across its digital platforms. A New Era in Sports Media A key aspect of this deal is WBD’s ability to develop NBA content for Bleacher Report and House of Highlights. As younger viewers shift toward short-form, on-demand content, these platforms will be crucial in tapping into this audience. Bleacher Report is seen as a major growth opportunity, while House of Highlights already dominates on TikTok and other short-form platforms, capitalizing on the cultural narratives surrounding sports rather than just the games themselves. Moreover, the settlement grants WBD international NBA rights in regions like Northern Europe and Latin America, excluding Mexico and Brazil. This is a significant boost for WBD’s streaming service, Max, which is expanding in EMEA, LATAM, and APAC territories. Offering NBA content will accelerate its growth in these markets, where streaming is becoming the preferred way to consume sports. Strategic Licensing with ESPN The deal also includes an agreement to license WBD's iconic "Inside the NBA" show to ESPN and ABC starting next season. This allows WBD to retain a high-profile presence in NBA programming, despite stepping away from live game broadcasts. For ESPN, it’s a win, as the show has become an integral part of NBA culture. Avoiding Litigation and Securing Long-Term Value Beyond the content agreements, this settlement highlights the importance of avoiding prolonged litigation in sports rights battles. By reaching this resolution, WBD has secured both immediate and long-term benefits, continuing its influence on NBA media content despite Amazon’s winning bid for in-season game rights. A Win for the NBA, WBD, ESPN, and Fans While WBD won’t be broadcasting live NBA games on TNT, the agreement allows it to maintain a significant role in shaping the basketball narrative for years to come. For the NBA, the deal ensures continued global reach and engagement with younger, digital-native fans. Most importantly, for fans, this deal ensures that the cultural and storytelling aspects of NBA coverage remain accessible and engaging across multiple platforms. In this rapidly evolving sports media landscape, this settlement is a strategic victory for all parties involved, demonstrating the importance of adapting to changing viewer preferences while preserving key content and relationships. #zulfiqarhaidershah #syedzulfiqarhaider #sparkofbrilliance #supplychainmanagement #gulforientedjobads #cswip3 #newsletter

Sports rights in the US approach $30 billion in 2024. Despite the challenges posed by a contracting subscriber base in the traditional cable bundle, the sports media industry in the US is showing remarkable resilience. This can be attributed to several factors, such as the increasing popularity of streaming services, the rise of alternative pay TV services, and the industry's ability to adapt to changing consumer preferences. S&P Global estimates that TV and streaming sports media rights payments will reach $29.54 billion by the end of 2024 across broadcast, cable, and streaming services. This is a significant increase from the $14.64 billion estimated in 2015. By 2027, the industry is expected to grow to nearly $35 billion, with strategic partnerships and investments playing a crucial role in this growth. Sports networks are weathering the storm and thriving, investing in premier live sports programming and a growing list of alternative pay TV services catering to cost-conscious consumers. The NASCAR has also signed a new lucrative rights deal, marking a significant milestone in the industry. The stock car circuit announced the renewal pacts with Fox Sports and NBC Sports, two critical players in the sports media landscape. The addition of mid-season race coverage from the newcomer Prime Video & Amazon MGM Studios and, Warner Bros. Discovery, TNT Sports U.S. return solidifies NASCAR's position in the digital and traditional media spheres. This was in conjunction with an earlier deal with the company The CW Network for its next-generation circuit. It was also reported that NASCAR scored $7.7 billion in collective rights fees for the 2025 season, which will also run through the 2031 season. The current 10-year deal NASCAR has with Fox and NBC Sports expires after the 2024 season, which averages $822 million. It was stated that $1.1 billion in rights fees would represent a 34% uptick in average annual value, highlighting these partnerships' strategic and lucrative nature.  By: Scott Robson S&P Global #NASCAR #NBCSports  #TNT #FoxSports #Amazon  #SPGlobal #NBC #PrimeVideo #SportsRights #WarnerBros #collectiverightsfees #rightsdeals

YouTube should be bidding for NBA broadcast rights, if it’s not already a quiet suitor seeking to snatch TNT’s current rights. Media prognosticators say Disney/ABC and Amazon are two of the three winners in the new rights deal the NBA is securing $76 billion for over the next 11 years. For the past 40 seasons, TNT has carried NBA games on its cable TV network. It’s currently paying $1.2 billion a year to broadcast 65 regular season games, 40 playoff games, and the All-star weekend. YouTube would make an ideal third rights partner for the NBA. Better than Comcast or a TNT renewal. The NBA was the first pro league to create a channel on YouTube in 2005, and the first to enter the YouTube partner program to collect Adsense checks in 2007. Today the NBA boasts over 21 million subscribers to its channel, and over 13.5 billion lifetime views. YouTube TV is ascending, with over 8 million paid subscribers. The company has already been a presenting sponsor of the NBA Finals since 2018, placing its YouTube TV logo on the court and on-air broadcast. The NBA, its teams, and its players would surely benefit from having YouTube more involved throughout the season. Aside from the Warriors, most other NBA team channels on YouTube are abysmal, averaging 212,000 subscribers and 51 million lifetime views. Numbers a top YouTube creator can achieve in a month. YouTube and its parent company Google can afford the deal. It’d be another reason to subscribe to YouTube TV, and a great global platform for the NBA to reach and grow its existing 1 billion viewers of NBA game clips and highlights. https://lnkd.in/ghPz9Naf

$76B..... Media companies highly value the rights to the widely watched professional basketball league. Despite traditional TV businesses losing millions of subscribers due to cord-cutting, sports content remains a reliable draw for a loyal audience. This trend underscores the increasing success of sports in the evolving media landscape. In addition to the media rights deals, the increasing success of sports content is evident in various ways. For instance, major sporting events like the Super Bowl, FIFA World Cup, and the Olympics consistently attract massive global audiences. These events serve as a platform not only for athletic competition but also for advertisers, who pay top dollar for coveted commercial slots during broadcasts. Furthermore, sports leagues have embraced digital platforms, streaming services, and social media to engage fans directly and provide exclusive content. Sports remain a powerful force in the entertainment industry, capturing hearts and minds across demographics. #sport #entertainment #media #technology #content

This week, I wanted to discuss what is arguably the biggest current story in sports media: the NBA media rights negotiations, particularly the unfolding scenario between the NBA, TNT Sports, and Amazon. TNT Sports has expressed its intention to exercise its matching rights to continue broadcasting NBA games, targeting the same 11-year package that Amazon has signed. This has led to a potential standoff with the NBA, which prefers to honor its new $1.8 billion per year contract with Amazon. As TNT challenges this decision, the NBA is navigating a delicate situation that could escalate into legal disputes. This situation underscores the evolving dynamics of sports broadcasting, where traditional networks increasingly compete with digital platforms to secure lucrative media rights. TNT’s attempt to maintain its long-standing relationship with the NBA by matching Amazon’s offer highlights the network's dedication to basketball. However, the NBA appears more inclined to partner with Amazon, aiming to reach cord-cutters and expand its global audience. The potential legal implications of TNT enforcing its matching rights could set a precedent for how sports leagues manage broadcasting agreements in the digital age. This could be a pivotal moment that redefines the broadcasting landscape for major sports leagues. We'll see how this plays out and what it means for the future of sports broadcasting. Can the NBA balance its traditional broadcasting relationships with the need to innovate in a digital-first market? What might this mean for other leagues and broadcasters facing similar crossroads? I’d love to hear your thoughts on this development. How do you see the outcome influencing the strategies of other sports leagues and broadcasters in adapting to the changing media landscape?

As platforms and networks multiply and audiences both grow and divide, sports rights owners face more complicated choices when choosing a strategy for considering media partners. #mediaplanning #mediabuying

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐖𝐍𝐁𝐀 𝐢𝐬 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐮𝐧𝐛𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐢𝐭𝐬 𝐦𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐚 𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐍𝐁𝐀 𝐭𝐨 𝐜𝐚𝐩𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐞 𝐨𝐧 𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐮𝐞𝐬. 📌 Currently, the WNBA (Women's National Basketball Association) shares a joint deal with the NBA and with Disney’s ESPN, contributing up to two-thirds of its annual broadcast revenues of US$60 million. 💰 Independent deals with Prime Video & Amazon Studios, CBS, and Scripps Networks Interactive also contribute to the WNBA's broadcast revenue. ⏳ Both the WNBA and National Basketball Association (NBA) are seeking significant increases in revenues as their rights deals expire in 2025, driven by growing demand for live sports content. 😯 The WNBA believes its rights are undervalued by ESPN and aims to achieve better outcomes by potentially going solo, especially after the highly watched 2023 season and the anticipation surrounding upcoming players like Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese. 👀 ESPN chairman indicates that the WNBA is likely to be part of any renewal with the NBA, as ESPN and Warner Bros. Discovery are in exclusive negotiation with the NBA until April. 📊 The WNBA's strong negotiating position is bolstered by its recent records in television and attendance, along with the rising popularity of women's sports. 🏀 Anticipation for the women’s March Madness tournament, with players like Clark and Reese, adds to the WNBA's appeal and potential audience. 👨🏻💻 The WNBA's ability to attract younger, diverse audiences makes it attractive for streaming services, aligning with the launch of ESPN's direct-to-consumer version in 2025. 🌟 Revenue expectations of up to US$100 million annually align with recent deals in women's sports, such as the NWSL's US$80 million-a-season deals and ESPN's contract for NCAA championships. Source: SportsPro ------ The world of sports is evolving digitally and streaming continues to revolutionise sports broadcasting. 🌍📡 🔗 Who - Stream7 is an Event Broadcasting & Streaming company. 💼 Work - We work alongside brands, partners, rights holders and broadcasters to elevate the streaming tech. 📬 Get in touch or drop a DM if you are looking to broadcast/stream your sports event. #sportsmarketing #sportsstreaming #sportsbusiness #wnba #usa #womesnsport

**NBA's New TV Deal Leaves Out Matching Rights** The National Basketball Association (NBA) has signed a new TV deal with Disney, NBC, and Amazon, but it won't include matching rights, according to sources. This means that teams will not be able to negotiate their own broadcast deals with other networks, giving the NBA more control over its media rights. The new deal is reportedly worth billions of dollars and will run for several years. It's a significant shift in the way the NBA approaches its media rights, as previous deals allowed teams to negotiate their own broadcast deals. The NBA's decision to exclude matching rights is seen as a way to increase its revenue and control over its media presence. It's also a way for the league to ensure that its teams are not able to negotiate better deals with other networks. The new TV deal is expected to have a significant impact on the NBA's revenue and its relationship with its teams. It's a major development in the world of professional sports and could have far-reaching consequences for the league and its teams. Source: https://lnkd.in/g3g77v_e Update Date: 16 hours ago