YouTube in talks for NBA local streaming rights deal worth over $1B - SBJ

YouTube and the NBA are reportedly engaged in advanced discussions to create an aggregated streaming hub for local team broadcasts, starting in the 2027-28 season. The proposed deal could be worth over $1 billion, depending on the number of teams that participate, with the NBA envisioning at least 25 teams streaming local telecasts exclusively through the platform in the first year.

The Toronto Raptors are excluded from the deal due to an existing agreement with Rogers Communications. Sources indicate that if the NBA can secure 29 teams for the hub, the league may seek approximately $1.2 billion, which would then be distributed to individual teams based on market value. Larger markets like the Miami Heat and Philadelphia 76ers are expected to receive more revenue than smaller markets such as the Memphis Grizzlies or New Orleans Pelicans.

If the aggregated hub only includes 25 teams or fewer, YouTube may offer around $850 million instead of the projected $1 billion-plus figure. YouTube is expected to recoup its costs through subscriptions under a potential nine-year deal, including a five-year option, which would expire when the NBA's 11-year, $77 billion national media deal concludes.

The deal is subject to uncertainty over which teams will participate, who controls broadcast inventory, and whether local over-the-air simulcasts will be permitted. Industry sources suggest that either an agreement or stalemate could be reached by this fall, potentially opening opportunities for other streaming platforms like DAZN, ESPN, or Amazon.