iHeartMedia’s Post

Archie Graham: Hey, ump, how 'bout a warning? Umpire: Sure, kid. Watch out you don't get killed. WSJ’s deep dive into the sports broadcast landscape is a good one, as they smartly illuminate an important viewership angle. Certainly, the news of the Spulu streaming service was good news for sports fans, but as we look into the slicing, dicing and pricing (ha! see what I did there?), there’s an interesting gap here: While the new service will account for 55% of all sports rights (https://lnkd.in/gjfBeJ4c) and carry nearly all of the nationally broadcast NBA, NHL and MLB games, it will not have access to those games carried on the regional sports networks, which carry local-market telecasts for major professional teams. As we know, the biggest RSN broadcast entity is the filing-for-bankruptcy (something like 42 teams) across which is currently being rescued by Amazon Prime Video (https://lnkd.in/gHv8zkUH) for the price of an hour's parking on Wilshire. The rest are scattered across traditional cable. With sports as the next battleground for streaming, this disjointedness will no doubt amplify consumer confusion/frustration regarding content (game) discovery and ultimately dilute viewership, especially since 52% of Millennial/Gen Z sports fans don't view watching live sports as an important part of being a fan in the first place per Morning Consult (https://lnkd.in/gujHRgDV). I remain bullish on sports and streaming, but baffling consumers, who will be asked to dig even deeper into their pockets ($50 for Spulu + another $20 for Paramount+ and Peacock to complete the set), is something sports streamers will need solve for via better curation, better tune-in, better integration with how’ve dimensionalized our fandom, better sports-as-culture moments. Without better integration into contemporary sports fan culture, just because you build it, they may not come at these price points. https://lnkd.in/gBnTzCAs

🚨 Big moves in sports broadcasting! 🏀 #NBA has struck deals with ESPN and Amazon, setting the stage for an exciting future in sports media. ESPN will continue to air regular season games and the coveted NBA Finals. Meanwhile, Amazon scores big with rights to the conference finals—marking a significant push into streaming for sports content. As TNT Sports U.S. deal nears its end post-2024-25 season, the focus shifts to what's next. #TNTSports and #WarnerBrosDiscovery are prepping for negotiations, with NBCUniversal also showing interest in bringing NBA games back to its network. Could we see a bidding war? 📺💰 With the NBA seeking a monumental increase in its rights package, from $24 billion to $75 billion, the stakes couldn't be higher. Stay tuned as the league shapes its broadcasting future! #SportsBiz #MediaRights #StreamingWars #SportsMarketing #DigitalTransformation #MediaRights #InnovationInSports

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The National Basketball Association (NBA) and Prime Video & Amazon Studios are reportedly finalizing a deal that could change the game for sports media, and putting pressure on Warner Bros. Discovery and NBCUniversal According to executives with direct knowledge of the talks, the streaming service is set to become a major home for the league’s games. Prime Video's package is expected to include significant regular season and postseason games, and possibly even some conference finals. The contract is anticipated to be for at least a decade and slated to begin during the 2025-2026 season. Article via The Athletic #NBA #AmazonPrimeVideo #SportsMedia #sportsbiz #sportbusiness #sportsmarketing #streaming #marketing #media #sponsorships #sportssponsorships #ai #mensio #hive

🏀 Breaking News: $76 Billion NBA TV Deal Fast Approaching 📺 As the NBA nears a monumental $76 billion media rights deal with ESPN, NBC, and Amazon, showcasing a seismic shift in sports broadcasting, Transmit's recent SportsPro StreamTime podcast episode couldn't be more timely. In it, our Co-Founder & CPO Scott Young, alongside advertising expert Paul Gelb, delve into the future of sports advertising. This episode provides crucial insights into how brands can leverage these evolving platforms. From the synergy between ad-supported and subscription models to the impact of streaming innovations, these discussions are essential for understanding the future landscape of sports advertising. As the NBA deal illustrates, the value and complexity of sports media rights are escalating, making it a critical time for advertisers to assess their strategies. Tune into our podcast for expert analysis and forward-looking perspectives that align with these groundbreaking developments. 🎧 Listen now and join the conversation about the future of sports advertising in this new era! https://lnkd.in/eRdA5FUx #NBA #MediaRights #SportsAdvertising #FutureOfSports #TransmitLive

The NBA has declined WBD's offer to match Amazon's $1.8 billion per year deal, paving the way for a contentious legal battle. This decision raises an important question: Are we witnessing the beginning of a trend where sports leagues choose to partner with Big Tech for broadcasting rights? #NBA #BigTech #SportsBusiness #LegalBattle

Very insightful article especially considering your predictions which track today’s news about Amazon reaching an agreement with the creditors/Bally in their bankruptcy proceeding.

A sports super streamer? Media giants are joining forces in an attempt at starting a sports streaming revolution. Fox Corp., Warner Bros. Discovery, and Disney are teaming up to launch a streaming service, uniting ESPN, TNT, and Fox Sports under one digital roof. The intent is to shake up the TV sports landscape by offering a massive library of content through a single, convenient app. The move is an interesting one because it comes as the price of sports rights is dramatically increasing. More importantly, it's really about eyes on the new prize in the streaming business - that's regaining lost revenue. For the main players, they're each trying to recapture the substantial affiliate fees they've lost due to cord-cutting. By uniting their sports content under a single streaming platform, they hope to entice viewers who have migrated to online entertainment, effectively reversing the declining subscriber trend. And if we look at this even more broadly, the joint venture represents a strategic response from traditional media giants scrambling to retain their grip on live sports, the holy grail of TV content that still draws consistent audiences in an era of cord-cutting and streaming dominance. By teaming up, they hope to counter the growing migration of sports rights to streaming platforms. Whether the strategy scores a touchdown remains to be seen, but the concentration of top sports under one roof would be significant https://lnkd.in/gziRmQbG #streaming #sports #foxsports #warnerbrosdiscovery #disney #media #subscription

The NBA is about to enter its #streaming era, with a new media rights deal ushering in the league’s first streaming-exclusive games. As some of the most effective live sports programming for advertisers all year, NBA games are second only to the NFL in ad performance. And given recent NFL success with streaming-exclusive games on Amazon and Peacock, advertisers should feel confident that these new formats will drive the business results they are looking for. Major sports leagues will continue to embrace streaming services and meet consumers where they are. But make no mistake – live sports ad engagement on linear #TV is still as strong as ever. I wouldn’t expect the growth of streaming-exclusive live sports games to derail that performance any time soon. Nice recap from Lucas Manfredi in TheWrap. https://lnkd.in/eyUB83qB

Local sports viewership is booming, but local sports broadcasters are going bust. The collapse of Diamond Sports Group, which owns Bally Sports and airs games locally for over 40 U.S. pro sports teams, spells trouble for Regional Sports Networks that historically relied on heavy subsidization from cable subscribers who don't watch sports. Sports leagues are already testing out new approaches to local broadcasting that present less revenue in the short term but greater fan accessibility over the long term. My full analysis, and how we got here, linked below. 📺 What’s your take? Drop a comment or reach out if you'd like to chat. https://lnkd.in/eUsRFreU