As part of their new media rights negotiations, the NBA is considering a different way of handling games on a local level. Today, consumers must have a cable or streaming package that includes the channel their local team plays on. The NBA is considering a model where individual games, or season-long packages, can be purchased by fans. This would allow fans to avoid paying for content they don’t want.
The league is also going to consider ways to redirect fans from social media highlights to streaming full games. There could be direct-purchase links for a game that are made available to fans who click on a highlight from a game in progress.
The WNBA is also a factor in the new media rights deals the NBA is negotiating. Interest in women’s basketball is at an all-time high. The league is seeking to capitalize by upgrading the return for the WNBA portion of their television rights. The NBA sees the WNBA as part of their year-long basketball product that is made available to viewers.