$194,000,000,000 streaming company raises interest in NBA In-Season Tournament
The NBA In-Season tournament is turning heads against all expectations. The In-Season tournament now seems like exactly what the league needed to develop interest in fans early in the season after being viewed as an added workload for players.
The viewership has seen a 55% rise compared to the same stretch last season, as per NBA reporter Alex Kennedy. That's a significant bonus for the league as the NBA negotiates a new media rights deal that could be worth $75 billion. Netflix, which has a $194 billion market cap value per NASDAQ, has emerged as an interested candidate in covering the In-Season tournament.
The popular streaming app has created several successful docuseries for different sports thus far, which has grabbed viewers' attention. However, streaming live sports is one area that Netflix hasn't explored. Some of its direct competitors have done that, so this would be a significant project.
ESPN has carried out the coverage of the NBA In-Season Tournament on Tuesdays and Fridays. If Netflix enters this space, it could be the only one to stream these games.
NBA In-Season Tournament games package more enticing option for Netflix executives
The NBA has a media rights deal with ESPN and Warner Bros Discovery (TNT) worth $24 billion. These were signed nearly a decade ago, in 2024. ESPN and TNT have carried out national TV coverage for the NBA during this stretch, including selective regular season games and the playoffs.
The TV schedule is split among these, while local TV channels also cover their respective teams. That said, Netflix may not be interested in being one of the many options for fans to stream selective games. According to the Sports Business Journal, getting the full rights to the NBA In-Season tournament is more of an enticing idea for Netflix execs.
"This type of deal -- a small package of games that it can promote with original programming -- appears to be a way for Netflix to get into live sports," the report said. "A package that it can own, like the In-Season Tournament, looks to be more attractive for Netflix execs than being one of several outlets carrying a game-of-the-week or playoff games."
Considering the staggering numbers and popularity gained by the NBA In-Season tournament, it could be a solid deal for Netflix. Meanwhile, the league gets to partner up with a global app that could bolster its viewership further.
The league's negotiations will start in March next year, so there's still time before Netflix and other broadcasters make their pitches to the NBA.