Oceanside, New York (MPN) – This fall, Amazon Prime joined ESPN/ABC and NBC in a 76 billion dollar NBA Broadcasting rights deal that’s set to fundamentally change the NBA’s broadcasting geography.
The inclusion of Amazon Prime as a broadcaster represents a seismic shift in the NBA’s Broadcasting rights, moving the league away from cable and towards streaming. But since this announcement, Amazon’s ability to be a positive force in such a goal has been diminished, its reach hasn’t diminished at all, but it’s credibility, certainly has, and the big factor in this is Amazon’s Founder, Jeff Bezos.
Since Last Year, Jeff Bezos has become one of Donald Trump’s biggest allies. Bezos, aside from his role in Amazon, is also the owner of The Washington Post, and has made no secret his tactile support for the Convicted Felon.
Bezos is Complicit in the New American Paradigm
Bezos’ support for Trump has been mainly through the Post. In October, he blocked an editorial endorsing Kamala Harris from being published, and just last month, he reorganized the op-ed section of the Washington Post into two categories, “Personal Liberties and Free Markets”, claiming any editorials not in line with either would not be published by the paper.
But, Bezos has also shown is appreciation for the Fascist in other ways, such as ending support for the Scientific Based Targets Initiative, a group monitoring whether or not companies are complying with Paris Accord, as well as towing the line with reducing its support for Diversity, Equality, and Inclusion.
The NBA is a League that Values Activism
Of course, Bezos’ intentions to transform Amazon into a Trump-Complacent Company are in contrast with the NBA, a League built on Activism, which has paved the way as a league, alongside the NFL, in supporting Diversity and Inclusion.
The League was also supportive of the Black Lives Matter Protests, even going so far as to cancel games during the league’s bubble season on the night that Jacob Blake, a 29 year old Black man, was shot by a police officer.
The NBA has an opportunity to send a message in this crucial time in our nation’s history that it stands for inclusion.
If an Activism stance is not enough to convince the NBA that axing the deal with Amazon is the right move, then there’s one other angle I can try.
The NBA is Losing Viewers
One of the big issues facing the NBA Right now, is a decline in viewership. Initially, one that could be brushed off to the MLB Postseason and Football, has now become a serious problem. Though the league saw a better February with NBA Viewership down only 2%, it is still an alarming metric.
Many people have pointed to a variety of factors, from excessive three point attempts, to pirated NBA broadcasts, but however you shake it, the NBA has a viewership problem, and locking broadcasts behind a streaming service, may not be the best idea.
What Would the NBA Do with Amazon’s Contract
If the NBA does go through with cancelling Amazon’s contract, the question of what do with the games Amazon is scheduled to broadcast. As of now, Amazon’s Package Involves
- 60-66 Regular Season Games
- The NBA Cup, Knock-out, Semi-Final and Final Round
- 14-26 Playoff Games
- Alternating Conference Finals (3 Eastern, 3 Western)
With that said, the NBA would have two choices
Reach Out to Another Network, or, Divide the Package between ESPN and NBC. The NBA could then market the NBA Cup in a separate package, say to Netflix, which has also entered the broadcasting game, and also voted to protect DEI.
Either way, the NBA has the chance to do the right thing, and even if Amazon tries to sue, it could still make a stand in.