Apple is rumored to be one of several companies interested in acquiring rights to livestream basketball games of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Apple could begin talks to acquire the NBA’s streaming rights soon as the Association’s exclusive deals with Disney and Warner Bros. Discovery approach their ends, CNBC reports.
The NBA’s exclusivity window with Disney and Warner Bros. Discovery is set to expire on Monday, April 22. This means the Association would be free to begin talks with any other company interested in acquiring streaming rights. So far, a few companies have expressed their interest including Apple, Amazon, YouTube TV, NBCUniversal/Peacock, and Netflix, with many already holding preliminary talks with the NBA.
CNBC adds that Disney and Warner Bros. Discovery will likely negotiate with the NBA past the exclusivity window, adding further competition to any other potential streamer looking to join in on the deal. In all cases, negotiations will be tricky for all interested parties since the Association will look to add a new “flagship streamer” that will help it double its $24 billion streaming rights deal last signed in 2014.
Apple should be at the forefront of parties interested in acquiring live-streaming rights for basketball games. The Cupertino company is doubling down on its catalog of live sports streaming with packages like the MLS Season Pass and the MLB’s Friday Night Baseball as it seeks to grow and diversify its Services sector. Apple could also tout the content consumption experience of Vision Pro coupled with the proprietary Immersive Video format as part of its pitch, something that no other media provider could match.
Last year, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver confirmed that the Association is looking to collaborate with Apple to offer an enhanced live basketball experience that takes advantage of Vision Pro. The NBA was also one of the first to launch a comprehensive streaming app for Apple’s headset shortly after its market release. This underscores the close relationship between Apple and the NBA which could give the former an upper hand when negotiations begin.
