Netflix, which has for years demurred on live sports rights, is said to be considering a bid for the NBA In-Season Tournament.
Sports Business Journal reported Monday that Netflix has shown “some interest” in acquiring rights to the In-Season Tournament and potentially developing a docuseries — akin to the F1 show “Drive to Survive” — to complement the live games. Netflix would not be able to bid until late April at the earliest, the point at which the NBA’s exclusive negotiating window with ESPN and Turner is set to expire.
Netflix has rarely entered the bidding for live sports, though it did place a bid on Formula 1 rights last year, per an SBJ report at the time. The company that ushered in the age of streaming has been largely an afterthought among those services when it comes to live sports, lapped not only by Amazon — whose NFL Thursday Night Football deal is the most significant entry into live sports by any streamer — but also Apple, which owns exclusive rights to Major League Soccer and a small Major League Baseball package.
It should be noted that Netflix was for years opposed to carrying ads until a drop in subscribers prompted an about-face last year. The reversal not only indicates that Netflix is willing to change course when necessary, but also gives the company a reason to enter into the advertising-heavy world of live sports.
The SBJ report notes that it is unclear whether Netflix is actually serious about making a bid. The company’s F1 bid was said to be noncompetitive. It is also unclear whether the NBA will break the In-Season Tournament out into its own package, though that seems fairly likely.
Breaking out the In-Season Tournament would be an indication that the NBA intends to spread the proverbial wealth in its new deal, a possible necessity as the league’s incumbent broadcasters ESPN and TNT are said to be exploring reduced packages. A report by Front Office Sports last month indicated that the NBA could go with as many as five partners in its new media rights deal.
(News from SBJ 11.13)
