The Atlanta Hawks ink a local streaming deal with Prime Video; MLB Network is canceling “Intentional Talk” after 16 years; and ESPN introduces an animated alternate broadcast for Super Bowl LXI. Plus news on Netflix, NBC Sports, DAZN and Jon Rothstein.
Hawks ink local streaming deal with Prime Video
The Atlanta Hawks have signed a deal to stream local games exclusively on Amazon’s Prime Video this season, becoming the first NBA team to work with the platform on regional broadcasts, it was announced Tuesday. Prime Video, which is a national NBA rightsholder under an 11-year deal reportedly worth $1.8 billion per year, will distribute Hawks games in the team’s local territory for no additional cost beyond the cost of a base subscription.
With the demise of Main Street Sports Group, the Hawks were one of several teams to find a new television home this offseason. The team entered into a broadcast partnership with Gray Media to distribute games over-the-air television via WANF Atlanta News First, the Peachtree Sports Network and other Gray Media stations in Georgia, with games produced by Raycom Sports.
Prime Video head of sports partnerships Charlie Neiman said in a statement that the team has “demonstrated a forward-thinking approach to reaching and engaging their fans,” exhibiting “the same commitment to innovation that drives our organization.” The streamer, which recently added in-market streaming distribution to seven NHL teams, has been mentioned as a contender to acquire the NBA’s centralized streaming hub expected to launch next season.
A majority of the 13 teams whose games were previously televised by the FanDuel Sports Network RSNs ended up signing deals of varying exclusivity with DAZN. Some of the other teams, including the LA Clippers and Oklahoma City Thunder, launched their own streaming services with linear television distribution. The Hawks are the only NBA team working with Prime Video for streaming regional broadcasts this season.
MLB Network to end “Intentional Talk” after 16 years
MLB Network is ending its afternoon baseball talk show “Intentional Talk” after 16 years, airing the final episode in the franchise following the conclusion of the World Series on Wednesday, Nov. 4. The program has been a staple in the league-owned network’s lineup for 15 years, initially launching in 2011 with the duo of co-hosts Chris Rose and Kevin Millar for its first decade. Millar has remained on the show throughout its tenure, working with Siera Santos and Ryan Dempster for the last four seasons.
Sports Media Watch has learned that the network hopes for Millar and Dempster to return and serve as analysts on other shows. Santos, who has also been part of “Friday Night Baseball” coverage for Apple TV co-produced by MLB Network, will remain with MLB Network moving forward. It is not currently known if the network is going to launch a new show in the 4 PM ET timeslot next season or if it will make other alterations to its programming lineup.
The cancelation of “Intentional Talk” marks the third studio program in three years to depart the network’s weekday programming lineup. MLB Network aired the final episode of “High Heat” with Christopher “Mad Dog” Russo in November 2024, concluding an 11-season run in the afternoon timeslot. The network also sunset “Off Base” as a daily studio show, instead transitioning the franchise to a weekly podcast for the 2025 season.
While MLB Network continues to air other studio programs — such as “MLB Central,” “MLB Now” and “MLB Tonight” — the network also functions as a production arm for regional broadcasts produced and distributed by the league’s local media department.
ESPN adds animated alt-cast to Super Bowl LXI coverage
ESPN is adding an animated, “Star Wars” alternate broadcast of Super Bowl LXI as part of a collaboration with the NFL, Disney and Lucasfilm, it was announced Monday. The “Star Wars Funday Football” altcast will air live on Disney Channel and Disney XD and stream on Disney+ and the ESPN App. The presentation is just the latest altcast of the game, which is set to air X-discrete productions across X-different platforms.
The traditional broadcast will air on ESPN, ABC and Disney+ with Joe Buck, Troy Aikman, Lisa Salters and Laura Rutledge.
ESPN will produce the broadcast using technology from Sony-owned Beyond Sports. The company has been part of the “Funday Football” series from the beginning, which started with a “Toy Story”-themed presentation for an international series game in October 2023 between the Atlanta Falcons and Jacksonville Jaguars. ESPN has leveraged the Disney portfolio of films and animated series for its presentations, creating animated experiences around “The Simpsons” and “Monsters, Inc.” for its subsequent football-themed animated broadcasts.
The “Star Wars Funday Football” broadcast is the fourth alternate presentation from ESPN for Super Bowl LXI and further expands the linear distribution of the game. ESPN2 will broadcast a “ManningCast” with Peyton and Eli Manning, while ESPNU will present “Field Pass with The Pat McAfee Show.” NFL Network, which is airing the championship game live for the first time as well, will air a next gen stats alternate broadcast. All of these presentations will have a runway during the regular season airing in select weeks with the exception of the animated presentation.
Plus: Netflix, NBC Sports, DAZN, Jon Rothstein
- Netflix is discussing a deal with Fox One that could potentially bring its slate of Sunday NFL games to the streaming platform, according to sources cited in a report by Matthew Belloni of Puck. The media conglomerate, which has approximately 325 million global subscribers, recently moved on from chief content officer Bela Bajaria and appointed Peter Rice to serve in the role. Netflix’s share price is down by more than 40% over the last year, and co-CEO Ted Sarandos recently said at Bloomberg Screentime that the company is “not growing as fast as I want us to.”
- Tracy McGrady has signed a two-year strategic partnership to remain at NBC Sports, which includes Peacock streaming “select games” of his Ones Basketball League and “[collaborating] on live tapings” for the “Cousins” podcast he co-hosts with NBC colleague Vince Carter, per a Jerry Brewer of The Athletic. McGrady, who said he worked last season on a one-year contract with NBC, remains on the network’s “NBA Showtime” studio show.
- Local broadcasts for the five NBA teams that signed exclusive deals with DAZN — the Cleveland Cavaliers, Indiana Pacers, Memphis Grizzlies, Minnesota Timberwolves and San Antonio Spurs — will stream at restaurants and bars through EverPass Media, according to Tom Friend of Sports Business Journal. DAZN acquired EverPass Media earlier in the year, which will eventually rebrand as “DAZN for Business” and holds exclusive commercial distribution rights to NFL Sunday Ticket. The platform also commercially distributes sporting events from other leagues, including the NBA, WNBA, MLS, NASCAR and MLB.
- Jon Rothstein announced on Monday that his editorial content is moving to 247Sports, owned by CBS Sports Digital. Rothstein will continue his role with CBS Sports where he appears on studio shows and as a sideline reporter in addition to making a weekly podcast appearance on “Inside College Basketball Now.” Rothstein has worked for CBS Sports as a college basketball insider dating back to 2010 and has become a fixture on its coverage of the NCAA Division I men’s basketball tournament.
