NBA Commissioner Adam Silver’s ambitious plans to expand the league are currently under the clouds of uncertainty. It depends on a massive media rights deal, which is expected to be finalized by fall 2025. This delay, to target a staggering $75 billion dynamic deal, could potentially keep the dreams of not one but two NBA players looking to own a team: Stephen Curry & Shaquille O’Neal on hold. Silver wants to secure a deal with streaming options. A significant shift from the traditional pay-TV model that currently dominates sports broadcasting.

This move makes the NBA a prime target for the likes of Amazon, Apple, and even Netflix. It potentially leaves out long-time partners ESPN and Warner Bros. It is also being reported that Amazon is eager to add the NBA and NFL’s coverage to its ranks. That will help them have a year-long streaming schedule for Prime. Netflix is surely an outlier because the company has been focusing on making documentaries to market its sports segment and a few celebrity golf specials- one-off events like those. However, a revenue generation method in an ad-subscription model would be apt for Netflix in a consumer-retention strategy.

NBA’s expansion strategy is careful and depends on specific financial benchmarks as well.

Silver has repeatedly emphasized the importance of securing a new collective bargaining agreement with the NBA Players Association (NBPA) and finalizing the media rights deal before welcoming new teams into the fold. Keith Smith, from Sportrac, believes that the NBA expansion process “hasn’t been set yet” and the formation of an expansion committee will likely be in the works after the media deal.

This is a strategic move by Silver. By waiting till 2025, the NBA can ensure it gets the most lucrative deal possible. Older names associated with the NBA like ESPN and WBD are on the brink of losing significant revenue should a new deal not be agreed. However, all these discussions are coming at the cost of cities with passionate fan bases like Seattle and Las Vegas being left waiting.

Will Steph Curry and Shaquille O’Neal have to wait?

On an occasion or two, GSW star Stephen Curry has made headlines by expressing his desire to own a basketball team. He once had a clear-cut response, “Absolutely”, after being asked about his interest. He said, “I just want to be a part of an ownership group that is as excited as I would be to obviously win, be in a position where you’re connecting with the community and the fan base the way that we have here in the Bay Area and with all the things that I’ve learned over the course of these 15 years playing and what I still have to learn about how the whole operation continues to work and grow, I could add some value there for sure”.

This describes Curry’s desire to stay in the realm of basketball even after retirement.

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However, he’s not alone. Shaquille O’Neal revealed that he wants to also own an NBA team. He even revealed that he considered purchasing the Atlanta Falcons for a whopping $4 billion. But later pulled out of the deal, setting his sights on acquiring an upcoming NBA franchise that “would interest him more”. He revealed that he’s been doing very well business-wise in Vegas. He would pounce at the opportunity should the NBA incorporate a team in Sin City. However, with Steph in the conversation as well, Shaq shouldn’t end up regretting his decision!

The wait might be frustrating for Curry and O’Neal. But it can prove to be a blessing in disguise for them. As it gives them extra time to build a strong ownership core group. Adam Silver’s focus on record-breaking media rights and expansion of the NBA will surely delay the dreams of Stephen Curry and Shaquille O’Neal. But his decision will potentially change the league forever and will ultimately benefit both the NBA and aspiring owners in the long run. The upcoming months will be crucial.

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