ALL INPredictions
Last updated Nov 29, 2025
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Jason @ 00:55:25Wrong
In the future, the NBA will move toward an ad-based, direct-to-consumer subscription model in which fans can subscribe directly to the league (e.g., roughly $200/year for access to all games without ads), bypassing the traditional cable bundle.
What's going to happen now is I think they're going to they just want this to be ad based and to directly subscribe. So I directly subscribe to the NBA. I get every game for $200 a year with no ads.View on YouTube
Explanation

As of late 2025, the NBA has not adopted the specific model Jason described (a single, direct subscription to the NBA for roughly $200/year that gives every game with no ads and bypasses the bundle).

Key facts:

  1. Long‑term commitment to traditional media partners: In July 2024 the NBA signed new 11‑year U.S. media agreements with Disney (ABC/ESPN), NBCUniversal (NBC/Peacock), and Amazon Prime Video running through the 2035‑36 season. Games will be spread across broadcast TV, cable, and those companies’ streaming platforms, with the NBA App acting mainly as a “universal access point” that routes fans to those partners—not a single all‑inclusive NBA‑only service. (nba.com) This locks in a rights structure that continues to rely on major broadcasters/streamers rather than shifting to a purely league‑direct model for at least a decade.

  2. League Pass remains limited and not truly “all games”: NBA League Pass in 2025‑26 costs about $109.99 per season with ads or $159.99 per season ad‑free in the U.S., and it remains primarily an out‑of‑market product. Nationally televised games and many in‑market games are blacked out and still require access via ESPN/ABC, NBC/Peacock, Prime Video, regional sports channels, or vMVPDs. (yahoo.com) This falls short of the prediction that you could “directly subscribe to the NBA” and “get every game … with no ads” from a single league‑run subscription.

  3. Fans still need multiple services, not one league subscription: Current viewing guides for the 2025‑26 season emphasize that U.S. fans need a combination of services—ESPN/ABC, NBC/Peacock, Prime Video, regional outlets plus (optionally) League Pass—to see all games. There is no single, direct‑from‑NBA $200/year product that provides comprehensive, ad‑free access to the entire season. (tomsguide.com)

  4. Model is not “bypassing the traditional bundle” in the way described: While there is more streaming and some cord‑cutting friendliness, the economic core is still large rights deals with media companies; many games sit inside their broader bundles or standalone streaming subscriptions. The NBA has not pivoted to making its own DTC subscription the primary, all‑inclusive way to watch the league, and the newly signed contracts strongly suggest that will not be the case through 2035‑36. (nba.com)

Because there is no single, league‑direct, ~$200/year, ad‑free product that gives access to every NBA game and replaces the bundle, the concrete scenario Jason laid out has not materialized. The league has incrementally expanded streaming and DTC options, but the prediction in its stated form is best classified as wrong.