Observed Signal · Oct 6, 2025 · Partnership · Source: State of Streaming · Impact: 3/5 · Sentiment: Positive
Sky Sports Wins 11-Year NBA Rights in UK & Ireland
Sky Sports has secured an 11-year agreement to become the UK and Ireland broadcaster for the NBA through 2036, bringing more than 100 live NBA games per season to the platform. The deal also includes WNBA rights, with games slated to begin airing in the 2026/27 season. The NBA returns to Sky after a two-season run on TNT Sports; Prime Video will remain an additional streaming option for some games. The move follows a similar North American arrangement by Sky’s parent company Comcast and forms part of a broader European strategy that includes bolstering Sky’s NBA offering in Italy.
Long-term live-sports rights create premium broadcast and CTV inventory in the UK/Ireland, strengthening Comcast/Sky's cross-border sports strategy and affecting advertising opportunities and distribution competition.
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Key Takeaways & Evidence Grounding
- Sky Sports secured an 11-year pact to be the home of the NBA in the UK and Ireland through 2036.
- The agreement brings over 100 live NBA games per season to Sky Sports.
- The rights package includes WNBA coverage, which will begin airing in the 2026/27 season.
- The NBA is returning to Sky after a two-season run on TNT Sports; Prime Video remains another streaming option for UK viewers.
- The deal follows a similar North American arrangement by Sky’s parent company Comcast and aligns with Sky’s expanded NBA strategy in Europe (including Italy).
Connected Companies & Entities
6 Entities mappedRelated Market Signals & Shifts
Recent verified developments and strategic activity across this market segment.
NBA Reclaims Control of NBA TV App
The NBA has assumed operational control of its NBA TV channel and NBA App from Warner Bros. Discovery, ending a 17-year partnership. The league is consolidating the properties into a unified, 24/7 global basketball hub timed with the start of new $76 billion media-rights deals. The reimagined service will feature a flagship studio show, The Association, and will carry about 60 regular-season games. Through a deal with Sportradar, the NBA plans to stream hundreds of additional live games from international leagues (Australia, China, Spain) and surface developmental content from the G League and high school competitions. The league is also taking direct control of NBA League Pass. The move shifts the NBA from a licensor model toward an owned-media strategy to deepen direct relationships with fans and control distribution and monetization.
NBCUniversal Bets on NBA to Transform Peacock
NBCUniversal is repositioning Peacock as a sports-focused streaming destination by securing a comprehensive NBA rights package and adding marquee talent. At its 2025 Upfront presentation the company announced an 11-year agreement that brings 100 regular-season and 40 playoff NBA games (also including WNBA coverage) to Peacock beginning in the 2025–26 season, with exclusive national Monday night games and shared Tuesday doubleheaders. Peacock plans interactive features — Peacock ScoreCard, Peacock Performance View, Live in Browse and multi-angle 'Courtside Live' — to boost engagement. Michael Jordan will join NBC Sports as a "special contributor." NBCU frames the move as a monetization engine for Peacock, citing nearly 100 million monthly ad-supported active users, more than 7,500 hours of live sports next year, and industry estimates valuing the NBA package around $2.5 billion per year.
ESPN NBA Viewership Soars Early in $76B Deal
ESPN reported near‑record viewership to start the 2025–26 NBA season, averaging about 2.6 million viewers — a 35% increase versus last season — marking the network’s second‑strongest season start behind 2010–11. Gains include nearly 50% higher viewership among women and ~40% among Hispanic audiences. The uplift extends to studio shows (Inside the NBA averaging ~1.2 million; NBA Today up >25%). Nielsen’s new “Big Data + Panel” measurement system was used for the first time this season, complicating direct year‑over‑year comparisons. The results give ESPN early momentum in the NBA’s new 11‑year, ~$76 billion media rights era and set competitive expectations for partners NBC and Prime Video as streaming and bundling strategies (ESPN with Disney+ and Hulu) continue to expand.
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