Prime Video to handle all production internally for NBA, WNBA

Amazon Prime Video will take on all production internally for their NBA and WNBA packages starting next season. Speaking at SBJ’s Media Innovators conference in N.Y. yesterday, Prime Video Head of Sports Programming Jeff Kaiser talked about the company’s investments in staffing and infrastructure for their sports division. He mentioned the challenges of taking NBA games on the road, but reassured that they are working on establishing a home base studio in L.A. to handle their basketball programming.

Kaiser sees the acquisition of NBA broadcasting rights as a natural step in the company’s sports media expansion. He emphasized the importance of global distribution for the company once they start airing games internationally.

Starting next season, Prime Video will air NBA regular-season and playoff games, along with WNBA games. Kaiser mentioned that they will apply lessons from broadcasting NFL games to their NBA broadcasts, focusing on tech innovations and impactful customer experiences.

Prime Video is planning an extensive lineup of live sports coverage for next year’s Black Friday, potentially featuring up to twelve hours of exclusive content, including an NFL game followed by an NBA doubleheader.

Kaiser and the NBA are evaluating the viewership results of the NBA Cup to determine the best timing for the tournament. He also hinted at providing an enhanced experience for subscribers when Prime Video becomes the exclusive digital distributor of NBA League Pass.