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Amazon's College Basketball Deal Hits Major Snag
4 May
Summary
- Amazon's deal to broadcast Duke basketball faces a roadblock.
- The Big Ten conference disputes broadcast rights for a Michigan game.
- Network agreements and regional territory clauses are central to the dispute.
Amazon's expansion into college athletics via a broadcast deal with Duke has encountered immediate challenges. A key matchup involving Michigan is facing a roadblock due to objections from the Big Ten conference.
This situation arises because the Big Ten believes it holds the television rights for the Michigan-Duke game based on their agreement with FOX. Duke had secured approval from ESPN, their ACC rights holder, to broadcast games on Amazon's Prime Video, but this appears to have overlooked existing conference broadcast agreements.
The conflict also involves interpretations of regional territory clauses for non-conference games. While games in Las Vegas and Detroit were reportedly cleared, the Big Ten asserts New York City falls within their broadcast footprint, further complicating the Michigan game.
Potential resolutions include financial compensation to the Big Ten or the game being reassigned to FOX for production. Alternatively, Duke and Amazon might seek a replacement opponent for Michigan, indicating potential friction in finalizing high-profile sports media rights deals.
