NBA’s plans for local TV hub are coming into focus
NBA’s plans for local TV hub are coming into focus
The league plans to launch its local games platform ahead of the 2027-28 season, and one streaming platform could be emerging as the favorite to host it.
The NBA wants in-market fans to be able to watch their favorite team without jumping through all of the hoops that the modern media rights and streaming services maze requires of them. The league has long been at work on a direct-to-consumer streaming platform that will allow fans around the country to easily stream all of their local team’s non-national games. This week, league commissioner Adam Silver provided an update on exactly when fans can expect that platform to be available.
Key Details:
- One more year: Silver confirmed the NBA is targeting a 2027-28 launch date for its new local games service.
- Temporary solution: A group of 13 NBA teams will have to sign one-year broadcasting deals this season.
- Where to find it?: One report indicates YouTube is the leading candidate to host the service.
Per Sports Business Journal, Silver expects the league’s new in-market streaming platform to launch in time for the 2027-28 season. There had been some thought that the streamer would be ready by the 2026-27 season, but it seems that there just isn’t enough time to bring it to market by this fall.
How many teams will be available on the NBA’s local streamer? A group of 13 clubs that are no longer partnered with a FanDuel regional sports network after the collapse of Main Street Sports Group is now looking for broadcast partners this year. Those teams will make, or have already made, one-year agreements for the upcoming season, and ideally would join the league’s new streamer next year.
They could be joined by the Boston Celtics, Golden State Warriors, Philadelphia 76ers, and Sacramento Kings — teams that are currently on NBC Sports RSNs. NBC wants to exit the regional sports business, and if teams like the Phoenix Suns and Utah Jazz, who are currently on over-the-air broadcast channels, also join, the new streamer’s count could quickly surpass 20 teams. The service is likely to be geofenced, meaning out-of-market NBA fans will still need to connect with their favorite team via the NBA League Pass service.
The challenge in getting all teams to join the in-market streaming hub is convincing big-market clubs like the New York Knicks to forego potentially more lucrative options to help the league build a complete streaming offering. But the more teams that are available, the more money the league can ask for in licensing fees.
SBJ also reports that YouTube is a “leading candidate” to host and distribute the streamer. However, fans shouldn’t count out the other usual suspects; ESPN, Prime Video, and other outlets will certainly be in discussions with the league. If YouTube does land distribution rights, the NBA’s in-market streamer would likely end up in the YouTube TV Primetime Channels store.
YouTube TV
YouTube TV is a live TV streaming service with more than 60 channels for $82.99/month. This plan includes local channels 32 of the top 35 cable channels, and regional sports networks (RSNs) in select markets. The base plan includes more than 100 live channels, including major broadcast networks like ABC, CBS, FOX, and NBC, as well as popular cable channels such as ESPN, CNN, FX, USA Network, and TNT. Local channels are included in most markets, making YouTube TV a full replacement for traditional cable for many viewers.