What will happen to NBA League Pass after new $76 billion media rights deal?

The NBA is set to undergo considerable change upon the commencement of its new media rights deal. Among the biggest question marks is the future of one of the league's most well-known services, NBA League Pass.

On Wednesday, the league announced its 11-year, $76 billion partnership with The Walt Disney Company, NBCUniversal and Amazon beginning with the 2025-26 NBA season. Under the agreement, ABC/ESPN, NBC/Peacock and Prime Video will telecast NBA games, with the NBA App directing fans where to watch nationally televised games.

The new media rights deal is expected to help the league vastly expand the reach of its telecasts. In addition to national TV games being available on popular streaming services, the partnership will reportedly allow for increased broadcast television exposure.

However, many have been wondering how the new deal will affect NBA League Pass, the NBA's streaming service that offers fans access to out-of-market games.

According to Front Office Sports, TNT Sports has been running the service under the league's previous media rights deal. On Friday, TNT's parent company Warner Bros. Discovery sued the NBA for allegedly failing to honor its matching rights. However, as of now, the company is set to lose its NBA broadcasting rights by the end of the 2024-25 season.

Per Front Office Sports, Amazon’s "third-party global channels store destination" is set to take over as League Pass' distributor. This change will reportedly "limit distribution on other platforms," "meaning fans' ability to subscribe through options such as YouTube TV could go away."

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Industry experts divided on NBA League Pass' future

It's unclear exactly how much NBA League Pass will change under Amazon amid concerns about its technical issues and murky official subscriber numbers. However, industry experts are reportedly divided on the service's future.

LightShed Partners founder Rich Greenfield recently expressed optimism that Amazon will improve League Pass due to its renowned selling ability.

"I think Amazon is one of the best sellers of products on planet Earth," Greenfield said. "When you look at their success selling Max subscriptions or Paramount Plus subscriptions, there’s no doubt that Amazon Prime channels will do a better job selling League Pass than anyone else could."

However, former Fox Sports executive-turned-sports media consultant Patrick Crakes isn't as bullish on League Pass' outlook. Crakes questioned the extent of the service's popularity, given the cryptic reports about its subscription numbers.

"I think Amazon will be helpful to this, but in general, I don’t see a lot changing because in the short run, five years, things are going to stay the way they are," Crakes said. "The sub numbers are fuzzy for a reason, and that’s because there’s a bunch of people in there and it’s an important product, but it’s not a mainstream general-market product."

Nevertheless, Crakes added that he thinks that League Pass is "going to endure" due to the "need for [the] product."

Regardless of the service's future, NBA commissioner Adam Silver appears confident Amazon will help grow the league's popularity under its new partnership.

"The digital opportunities with Amazon align perfectly with the global interest in the NBA," Silver said. "And Prime Video’s massive subscriber base will dramatically expand our ability to reach our fans in new and innovative ways."

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