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Sports-Rights Spending Tops $40 Billion: Streaming Surges Ahead of Linear TV

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  Published in Sports and Competition on Tuesday, November 25th 2025 at 15:03 GMT by The Hollywood Reporter

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The TV‑Rights Revolution in Major League Sports: How the NBA, MLB, and the Rest of the World Are Paying to Be Seen

For the past decade the landscape of televised sports has transformed from a few cable stalwarts to a sprawling ecosystem of multi‑platform deals, streaming giants, and traditional broadcasters scrambling to keep pace. The Hollywood Reporter’s latest deep dive—“NBA, MLB, TV Deals, Sports Rights Spending Analysis” (2023)—offers a sweeping overview of the numbers and narratives behind the biggest sports‑rights contracts in North America and beyond. The piece dissects how Major League Baseball (MLB) and the National Basketball Association (NBA) are negotiating with television networks, streaming platforms, and global partners; the evolving role of “big‑four” networks (CBS, NBC, Fox, and ABC); and the strategic shift that’s redefining how fans access games.

1. The Billion‑Dollar Game: Where the Money Is Going

The report opens with a striking statistic: sports‑rights spending in the United States exceeded $40 billion in 2022, with television contracts alone accounting for roughly $25 billion. The NBA and MLB occupy a large slice of that pie, but the real growth driver is the streaming segment. In 2022, streaming services—including Amazon Prime Video, Disney+ (through ESPN+), and Peacock—broke the $4 billion barrier for sports rights, a jump of almost 30 % from the previous year. This surge is a direct response to shifting viewer habits: younger audiences consume content on-demand and across multiple devices, pushing traditional broadcasters to rethink the value proposition of linear TV.

The article highlights how sports rights spending is now distributed across a mosaic of deals: long‑term, high‑value linear agreements (e.g., MLB’s 10‑year deal with ESPN/ABC), short‑term, lower‑cost streaming contracts (e.g., NBA’s 7‑year, $1.8 billion deal with TikTok), and hybrid models that combine linear and digital elements. The analysis underscores that even as linear TV contracts hold larger dollar values, the per‑game price is declining, reflecting the competitive pressure of streaming alternatives and the need for broadcasters to justify expensive network slots.

2. MLB’s Media Mix: From the Hall of Fame to the Cloud

The article dedicates a substantial section to MLB’s evolving media strategy. Historically, MLB’s broadcast partnership was dominated by traditional television—Fox, TBS, ESPN, and CBS. The new wave of deals, however, introduces streaming services that are reshaping the game’s visibility.

Key Takeaways from MLB’s TV Rights:

1. The 10‑Year Deal with ESPN/ABC – Finalized in 2021, the contract is worth $3.75 billion, with 45 games per season on ABC and 65 on ESPN. This deal also includes a 3‑game “All‑Star” package on ESPN+. The agreement ensures national coverage while offering the league a stable revenue stream, but it places a premium on linear slots that are increasingly hard to acquire.

2. The 7‑Year Agreement with TBS – With an approximate value of $1.9 billion, this deal provides regional coverage and the “MLB Sunday Night Baseball” slot, which has historically been one of the most valuable time slots in sports broadcasting.

3. Streaming Expansion: MLB.TV, ESPN+ and Disney+ – The article explains that MLB.TV remains the primary digital platform, offering fans the ability to watch every game live. Meanwhile, Disney’s ESPN+ serves as a “high‑quality” streaming alternative that features live MLB games on a per‑game basis. MLB also tested “short‑form” streaming with its “MLB Fan Stories” on YouTube and other social media, further diversifying its content portfolio.

4. International Partnerships – A highlight is the $2.2 billion multi‑year partnership with the European Broadcasting Union (EBU). While not a traditional broadcast deal, it signifies MLB’s commitment to global expansion through streaming rights and cross‑promotional initiatives.

The analysis also points out MLB’s new “flex scheduling” approach that allows the league to shift games to prime time slots on streaming platforms, thereby maximizing viewership and ad revenue.

3. NBA’s Streaming Surge and the Rise of TikTok

NBA broadcasting has been a textbook example of how digital-native platforms can disrupt the traditional sports‑rights model. While the league’s legacy agreements with ESPN, ABC, and TNT remain central, the NBA’s relationship with TikTok has become the talk of the town.

Key Points on NBA Broadcasting:

1. Long‑Term Deal with TikTok – The report reveals that in 2023, the NBA inked a 7‑year, $1.8 billion contract with TikTok, making it the highest‑valued digital‑platform deal in NBA history. The partnership includes exclusive digital coverage, behind‑the‑scenes content, and a 3‑game “Game of the Week” package. The NBA’s strategic goal is to capture Gen‑Z and Gen‑α viewers who consume sports in bite‑size formats.

2. Linear Broadcasts Remain Strong – ESPN/ABC still command the majority of NBA exposure, with 20 games a week on ESPN and 6 on ABC. TNT continues to deliver the “Saturday Night Game” tradition, and the “NBA Finals” remain a linear marquee event on ABC.

3. Streaming Platforms and the “NBA League Pass” – The league’s in‑house streaming platform, the “NBA League Pass,” offers pay‑per‑game and season‑ticket options. It’s a direct competitor to the newer streaming partnerships and offers a hybrid model that blends linear and digital consumption.

4. Cross‑Platform Synergy – The NBA’s new “NBA 2K League” partnership with the gaming world and a streaming agreement with Twitch illustrate the league’s broader approach to diversifying revenue. The league is leveraging digital platforms to expand the brand into e‑sports, creating a new revenue stream that is particularly attractive to tech investors.

4. The Bigger Picture: “Big‑Four” Networks, Sports‑Rights, and the Future of TV

Beyond MLB and NBA, the article broadens its lens to the entire sports‑broadcast ecosystem. It discusses how the Big‑Four networks (CBS, NBC, Fox, ABC) are increasingly reliant on premium sports packages for their flagship programming slots, especially for the Super Bowl and World Series.

Highlights:

• CBS and the “World Series” – The network’s $1.6 billion deal for 12 years ensures it remains a staple of baseball coverage. CBS also benefits from cross‑promotional synergy with other CBS Sports programming (e.g., CBS Sports Network, CBS Sports HQ).

• NBC’s “Sunday Night Football” – The network’s partnership with the NFL is a major driver of its overall sports‑rights spend, but the article notes the synergistic effect with Peacock, which streams NFL games on a per‑game basis.

• Fox’s Multi‑Sport Approach – Fox’s strategy of securing deals across MLB, NASCAR, and college football allows it to maintain relevance in a fragmented market.

The Hollywood Reporter’s analysis also touches on the “digital‑first” mindset that is now a hallmark of sports broadcasting. With the rise of short‑form content on TikTok, live streaming on Twitch, and on‑demand libraries on Disney+ and Amazon Prime Video, the traditional linear model is increasingly seen as a supplementary, rather than primary, avenue for sports content.

5. Economic Impact: The “Sports Rights Economy”

The article brings the narrative full circle by illustrating how sports rights deals are reshaping the broader media economics:

• Advertiser Demand – The high value of sports rights drives advertising spending to record levels. Advertisers are willing to pay a premium for high‑engagement, live sports content because it delivers real‑time consumer attention and higher conversion rates.

• Cost‑of‑Entry – New streaming platforms like TikTok are forced to pay significant amounts for sports rights, but they offset this by monetizing the content through in‑app ads, sponsored content, and subscription tiers (e.g., “TikTok LIVE” packages). These strategies create new revenue streams for both platforms and leagues.

• Competitive Dynamics – The report stresses that the proliferation of streaming deals has increased competition among broadcasters. Traditional networks are now forced to negotiate joint deals with streaming platforms, such as “TNT + ESPN+” packages, to stay relevant. These cross‑media agreements also allow the networks to diversify risk and capture audiences across multiple touchpoints.

• Future Outlook – The Hollywood Reporter predicts a continued rise in “hybrid” media models—combining linear TV, over‑the‑top streaming, and mobile‑centric platforms. It suggests that major sports leagues will increasingly adopt tiered rights models where “premium” games are available on linear networks, while “secondary” games are distributed on streaming or pay‑per‑view platforms.

6. Key Takeaway: Sports Rights Deals Are a Game of Numbers, Platforms, and Audience Segments

In summary, the article paints a vivid picture of a media landscape that is becoming more fragmented and platform‑centric. MLB and NBA are no longer bound to a single distribution channel; instead, they are orchestrating a multi‑layered strategy that includes linear television, streaming services, social media, and even gaming. These moves are not just about maximizing revenue—they’re also about capturing audiences that increasingly favor short, on‑the‑go content over traditional, hour‑long broadcasts.

The Hollywood Reporter’s piece serves as a comprehensive guide for anyone interested in the intersection of sports, media, and commerce. It underscores that while the numbers are impressive, the true value of sports rights lies in how leagues and broadcasters can adapt to new consumption habits and integrate across diverse platforms to keep fans engaged and advertisers invested.