Disney-owned ESPN has been going through constant changes in this modern age, as streaming is becoming the most important value in the broadcasting industry. The powerful channel has been constantly firing employees and television icons to be able to cope their budget to their company’s next chapter.
In the process, they’ve been renegotiating with all the US sport leagues for potential streaming packages in their new platforms. ESPN’s president of content Burke Magnus considers the NBA finals to be a “must have” for the sports broadcaster.
Magnus also revealed that they are open to sharing the rights to the College Football Playoff (CFP) and would even consider a potential deal with WWE.
ESPN has officially introduced its new lead NBA broadcast booth:
• Mike Breen
• Doris Burke
• Doc Rivers pic.twitter.com/vWwu5skRCY— Front Office Sports (@FOS) August 14, 2023
As the NBA and CFP are two of their most important properties, both contracts are up for renewal in the next couple of years. ESPN expects to face big competition as they hope to maintain both leagues inside their roster.
This is why the ‘Worldwide leader in sports’ are prepared to be aggresive in their upcoming negotiations, just as Magnus confirmed in a recent interview.
“We want very much to keep [the NBA],” he said. “As always with an incumbent property, I’m sure there’s little things, pieces of it, that could be changed or altered throughout the process. But we hope to come out of it with a package that looks pretty similar to what we have now. We hope that’s a relationship that goes on for many, many years.”
As of now, CBS, Fox and NBC have been “stealing” content behind their back, as college’s the Big Ten recently accepted a bid from another broadcast channel.
College basketball has also become a valuable asset for ESPN, as they are adamant on keeping them in their broadcast service
The fact that the CFP is set to expand to 12 teams in the next three years, acquiring their streaming rights have become an essential part of this offering. Magnus was open about the options of sharing ESPN’s rights, but not with more than one other broadcast partner.
“We intend to pursue [the CFP] aggressively,” he said. “I think it’s certainly possible it could be one [broadcaster]. It’s only going from seven games to 11 games in total. That’s not that big to begin with. If it were to be shared, I personally feel like it couldn’t or maybe rather shouldn’t be shared beyond two.”
Check out alternative media outlets referring to ESPN’s newest broadcast booth for NBA’s next season:
As for women’s college sports and FIFA World Cup rights, Magnus discussed the possibilities of maintain them inside their broadcast roster, even though they mostly have their eyes set on a deal with the WWE.
“There’s no hesitation anymore from a brand perspective or from a live event versus scripted,” he assured. “[WWE] fans and our viewers, there’s tremendous overlap, so, to me, it’s just about the business of it and is there something that works.”
