Amazon Prime Video slam dunks billion dollar deal to stream NBA globally.

by Thinus Ferreira

Amazon Prime Video has clinched a billion-dollar contract to stream National Basketball Association (NBA) games from 2025 globally, and WNBA games from 2026, in another transformative deal that further propels the shift from live sports from linear TV to streaming.

Besides Amazon's streaming deal, the NBA also signed deals with The Walt Disney Company and NBCUniversal in the United States after the NBA rejected a deal from the current rights owner Warner Bros. Discovery. 

It means that Disney through ESPN, and NBCU will distribute some NBA games through linear TV to some international markets.

"Warner Bros. Discovery's most recent proposal did not match the terms of Amazon Prime Video's offer and therefore we have entered into a long-term arrangement with Amazon," the NBA said in a statement.

Amazon on Wednesday night announced its 11-year media rights agreement, according to which it will now be the exclusive streaming service for 66 regular NBA games beginning in 2025, including the Emirates NBA cup and the NBA playoffs, as well as regular and postseason WNBA games beginning in 2026.

In the landmark deal, Amazon Prime Video will present exclusive global coverage for 66 regular-season NBA games, including an opening-week doubleheader, a new Black Friday NBA game, and all games from the Knockout Rounds of the Emirates NBA Cup, including the in-season tournament's semifinals and finals.

Amazon Prime Video will present live NBA pregame, postgame, and halftime shows as part of its coverage.

Amazon Prime Video also acquired the rights to exclusive coverage of every game of the postseason SoFi NBA Play-In Tournament, first- and second-round playoff games, and Conference Finals in six of the 11 years of the deal. Prime Video will distribute its package of games in the United States and internationally.

The international live-game package rights extend worldwide.

Mike Hopkins, head of Prime Video and Amazon MGM Studios, in a statement, says "NBA and WNBA basketball will serve as yet another cornerstone of the robust sports business our Prime Video team has built in just the last six years".

"When combined with our original films and shows; partner streaming services; licensed content; and rent or buy titles - our sports offering is a major driver of Amazon Prime Video's evolution into a genuine one-stop shop for everything our customers want in video."

Jay Marine, global head of sports for Amazon Prime Video, says "We are proud to be the first exclusive streaming partner for the NBA, bringing Prime members across the globe one of the most exciting and most popular sports in the world".

"With 66 regular-season games, the NBA Cup, the Play-In Tournament, more than 20 playoff games every year, and NBA League Pass, we're giving basketball fans around the world more ways than ever to watch the action."

"Over the past few years, we have worked hard to bring the very best of sports to Amazon Prime Video and to continue to innovate on the viewing experience." 

NBA commissioner Adam Silver in the statement says "The digital opportunities with Amazon align perfectly with the global interest in the NBA and Amazon Prime Video's massive subscriber base will dramatically expand our ability to reach our fans in new and innovative ways".

According to MIDiA research, Amazon's NBA grab "will reshape how sports rights are monetised for the remainder of this decade".

"Unlike film and non-sports content, sports broadcast has maintained its practice of slicing and dicing broadcast rights on a territory-by-territory basis. While lucrative, this behaviour no longer makes sense for global streaming propositions such as Amazon Prime Video, which expects a return on investment based upon global exploitation of licensed content".

MIDiA says that Amazon Prime Video "paying above the market rate has the added appeal of taking the rights out of reach of legacy media majors such as Warner Bros. Discovery. These companies are struggling to deliver upon their streaming potential due to the need to protect their core yet declining pay-TV business revenue streams".

"This means a slam dunk for streaming TV at the expense of traditional TV business models."

SABC to show some American basketball again with new multiyear agreement for SABC Sport channel starting with NBA's 75th season.

by Thinus Ferreira

The South African public broadcaster will start showing some American basketball content again after it has signed a broadcast agreement with the NBA to show basketball on its SABC Sport channel.

SABC Sport will show 35 basketball games throughout the 75th season, as well as after that, as part of a multiyear broadcast rights agreement with the National Basketball Association (NBA).

NBA matches that will be shown on SABC Sport include a Christmas Day game, NBA All-Star Saturday Night, Conference Finals and The Finals (broadcast live or delayed) on SABC1 and the SABC Sport channel on eMedia's Openview satellite service as well as Telkom's video streaming service TelkomONE.

The SABC will also broadcast a weekly magazine show NBA Action covering NBA news and highlights. 

The SABC says in a statement that the first live NBA broadcast will kick off with a pre-game live studio presentation on Saturday 30 October at 22:30, followed by the inaugural live broadcast of the NBA's 75th "anniversary season" of the Washington Wizards against Boston Celtics.

Due to the time difference between South Africa and America the live or delayed broadcasts will start between 20:00 and midnight on the same Saturday on SABC1 and the SABC Sport channel.

"SABC Sport is incredibly thrilled to add one of the world's most exciting and respected leagues to its live sports offering, as we know that there is a sports audience which loves the game of basketball in Mzansi," says Gary Rathbone, SABC Sport general manager in a prepared statement.

"In bringing this great global sporting spectacle to our viewers, the SABC will also be setting out to inspire and entertain a whole new generation of basketball fans all over the country."

Victor Williams, NBA Africa CEO, says "We are thrilled to once again partner with SABC, beginning with our milestone 75th anniversary season".

"Through this partnership, we look forward to bringing the excitement of the NBA to more of our passionate fans in South Africa as part of our continued commitment of making basketball more accessible across the continent."

South Africa's e.tv adds NBA coverage in new multi-year deal after implosion of Econet's Kwesé Free Sports.

e.tv has signed a new multi-year deal to add sports coverage of America's National Basketball Association (NBA) to its channel as well as on its Openview free-to-air satellite service.

The new NBA coverage deal comes after the implosion of Econet pay-TV division, Kwesé and its Kwesé Free Sports channel that abruptly went dark in July 2019 and was subsequently removed from Openview.

Through Kwesé and Kwesé Free Sports South African saw some NBA coverage on South African community TV stations like SowetoTV thanks to sub-licensing deals which ended because of the debt-riddled Econet's financial problems.

NBA coverage on e.tv will start this Saturday and Sunday 9 and 10 November on e.tv and Openview with the broadcast of the game between San Antonio Spurs and Boston Celtics that will be broadcast live on e.tv at midnight, with a repeat on Sunday at 17:00 on Openview's News & Sport channel.

Two NBA games will be broadcast per week on News & Sport (Openview 120), including one live game and one shown on a delayed basis.

"South Africa has an insatiable sporting appetite, and our partnership with the NBA will most certainly appeal to that," says Marlon Davids, e.tv managing director.

"Over the past few years, we have been implementing strategic growth plans that will ensure that our sports content offering across our platforms is worthwhile for our viewers.  We are ecstatic about this announcement and we greatly look forward to a fruitful run with the NBA."

Amadou Gallo Fall, NBA Africa managing director and Basketball Africa league president, says "We have always strived to make the game of basketball more accessible to our fans through participation in our sport and exposure, and we are thrilled to partner with e.tv in South Africa".

"We have seen growing interest and look forward to reaching more fans in South Africa through live games and additional programming."

The NBA starts a YouTube channel, NBA Africa, for sub-Saharan Africa; will work with Google to produce original basketball content.

America's National Basketball Association (NBA) is launching a YouTube channel, NBA Africa, for sub-Saharan Africa, that will stream basketball games as well as magazine show content and NBA documentaries in partnership with Google's streaming service.

The NBA that has struggled to get its content on South and Southern African TV screens since ESPN dumped South Africa and Africa and went dark om MultiChoice's DStv satellite pay-TV platform doesn't have a big following in South Africa or sub-Saharan Africa but is trying to get more exposure for the game on the continent since it opened a regional office in Johannesburg a few years ago.

The NBA in Africa apparently started some type of Africa league with 12 club teams in February. An NBA Academy Africa opened in May 2017.

The NBA's NBA Africa YouTube channel will stream 2 live NBA games per week in sub-Saharan Africa of what's left of the 2018/2019 basketball championship season starting on 24 March, that will include playoffs, conference finals and the finals.

The first live games shown will be on 24 March with the Charlotte Hornets against the Boston Celtics at 12:00, followed by the L.A. Clippers against the New York Knicks at 18:00.

NBA documentaries that will be shown for instance profiling players like Nigeria's Hakeem Olajuwon and Dikembe Mutombo from the Democratic Republic of Congo. The NBA is working with Google's YouTube to provide original basketball content.

"The NBA Africa YouTube channel is yet another important milestone for the NBA in Africa and will allow more fans to access our games, live and on-demand, across the continent," says Amadou Gallo Fall, NBA managing director for Africa.

"As we enter the home stretch of the NBA season and teams fight for playoff positioning, we look forward to bringing the excitement of the NBA to more fans in sub-Saharan Africa while celebrating the NBA's rich history and bright future in Africa."

Dayo Olopade, the manager of YouTube partnerships in Africa at Google, says "From inception, YouTube has been a hub for fans to catch up on moments and coverage from their favourite sports. We are delighted to be partnering with the NBA to bring the action and inspiration of basketball to our audience in Africa."

"We hope NBA fans on the continent enjoy watching the live games and commentaries on YouTube."

DAILY TV NEWS ROUND-UP. Today's interesting TV stories to read from TVwithThinus - 21 February 2017.

Here's the latest news about TV that I read, and that you should too:

■ The Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC) should polish its dismal programming.
After Zimbabwe's Reserve Bank last week criticised DStv subscribers in Zimbabwe for damaging the struggling country's economy, criticism is building about how bad Zimbabwe's television offering is.

■ Is StarTimes Kenya stealing from StarTimes subscribers?
StarTimes Kenya subscribers are furious about how they're constantly being cut off too early.


■ Why there's no NBA basketball on DStv anymore.
MultiChoice lost the rights to NBA broadcasts in sub-Saharan Africa to Kwesé Sports with the deal "that is a huge blow for SuperSport". Of course it was the NBA All-Stars and nobody in Africa could really watch.
- Making it even more bizarre is the NBA planning to return to South Africa. Hilarious considering that a dead brand for a barely there American sport doesn't want its actual content and matches shown on television in South Africa.


■ Dishing dirt on Awful Park:
The rot at the SABC is finally being exposed - choice quotes from parliament's ongoing SABC investigation.

■ Nigeria's Ndani TV has burnt down.
The online TV channel in Lagos, Nigeria saw its Ndani Studio go up in flames over the weekend, billions feared lost - including already filmed new seasons of shows, as well as back-up copies.

■ Complaints about OnAir who does direct marketing on behalf of MultiChoice continues.
More bad service and lies by OnAir according to DStv subscribers when it comes to upselling DStv subcribers in South Africa who are unhappy with how they're being lied to.


■ BEST TV story headline this year:
"Trolls worse than zombies," says The Walking Dead star.
Of course actor Josh McDermitt of The Walking Dead on FOX (DStv 125 / StarSat 131) is talking about internet and social media shamers.


■ The end of male audience focused linear TV channels?
With Esquire, Spike and others shut down, are channels catering to male viewers now in danger?

■ Tina Wamala hasn't been fired.
MultiChoice Uganda's publicist who was embroiled in controversy last month goes on NBS to talk about DStv in Uganda. Little actual news and information, but note the mention of "reshuffling" of content coming.

■ From a TV news anchor's lips to Donald Trump's ears and Sweden's disbelief.
Donald Trump watches TV at night, and then uses that in his tweets, speeches and interviews.

■ Italy's Roman Catholic church TV is sexy-ing up - complete with Colin Firth in wet shirt.
TV2000, a Roman Catholic owned TV channel, has bought its first content from BBC Worldwide, including racy dramas like Pride and Prejudice.

■ TV ratings system: Australia to become largest per capita people metered market in the world.
What is means is that Australia's ratings, or viewership measurement, will have the best "accuracy" in terms of how what is listed actually relates to what the whole nation is really watching.

■ Naspers' ShowMax launching new short-video series QHits on 1 March.
ShowMax, working with QYou, will launch the new series QHits in ShowMax in East Africa with presenter Rachel Marete.

Next channels on StarSat going dark is the NBA TV and NBA TV HD channels from 30 June; taken over exclusively by another pay-TV operator.

NBA TV (StarSat 206) and NBA TV HD (StarSat 207) are the next two channels on On Digital Media (ODM) and StarTimes Media South Africa's StarSat.

The channels are being terminated and going dark on the Woodmead-based satellite pay-TV platform's service on 30 June.

StarSat said the NBA TV channel and its high-definition (HD) version has been taken over exclusively by another pay-TV operator, but TVwithThinus has etablished that it's not MultiChoice and its DStv service.

StarSat didn't tell the media about the latest channels' loss but in response to a media enquiry confirms to me that the NBA channels covering American basketball are indeed going dark on 30 June on StarSat's platform.

The NBA TV channels are going dark two and a half years after it was added in November 2013 to StarSat. The NBA TV HD channel is one of the few HD offered channels actually available on StarSat's HD enabled white set-top box decoder.

StarSat sent an on-screen message to StarSat subscribers informing them of the NBA TV channels' removal on 30 June.

As in the past, StarSat tells its subscribers that the loss of the channels creates an opportunity to acquire other TV channels.

StarSat, even with the backing of China's StarTimes for the past two years, seldom delivers on these promises of replacement and new high-quality channels, with ongoing daily complaints from StarSat subscribers about programming and sound and video quality issues.

"StarSat can confirm that as of 30 June, NBA TV and NBA TV HD will no longer be available on its platform," says the pay-TV provider.

"The decision to close the two channels was taken following the confirmation by FOX who owns the rights to both channels, that they have taken the decision to give another pay-TV platform exclusive broadcast rights."

"StarSat would like to assure its valued subscribers that while these two channels will no longer be available on its platform, it does create an opportunity for the company to acquire other high-quality and entertaining channels for its valued subscribers."

MultiChoice tells me that "MultiChoice is not adding the NBA TV channel to DStv because it was acquired by another entity on the continent".