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By Michelai Graham
Boardroom's Tech Reporter
March 23, 2025
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If you’re struggling to build your March Madness brackets, AI chatbots are not on your side, as they are all predicting some pretty impossible matchups. While AI can analyze data, humans are essential for ensuring accuracy in complex tasks like bracketology.

A peek into today’s edition:

  • A deep dive on the sports streaming landscape
  • Tech Byte: Roblox‘s AI-powered 3D object generator
  • GM and Nvidia announce AI deal

Sports broadcasting has been undergoing a dramatic transformation for quite some time since streaming services entered the picture.

Tech giants like Apple, Amazon, and YouTube have been securing exclusive streaming to major sports leagues, ultimately shifting how fans watch sporting spectacles. The competition among streaming services is intensifying, with new strategies, technologies, and experiences being rolled out as the race for exclusive content heats up.

Let’s explore the dynamics of this ongoing battle between tech giants for sports rights, the current state of sports streaming, and how fans can expect to experience their favorite teams in the years to come.

Who’s Leading the Pack?

Historically, live sports broadcasting has been dominated by traditional TV networks like ESPN, NBC, CBS, and Fox. These established platforms had the experience and the financial muscle to negotiate lucrative rights deals with major sports leagues. However, with the rise of streaming platforms and the shift in viewing habits–especially among younger, tech-savvy generations)–there’s a noticeable pivot toward digital-first consumption.

In this new world of sports broadcasting, streamers like Netflix, Apple TV+, Amazon‘s Prime Video, YouTube TV, NBCUniversal‘s Peacock, and CBS-affiliated Paramount+ are vying for supremacy. Each of these companies takes a different approach to streaming sports, targeting specific audiences and offering distinct features exclusive to fans watching content on their platforms.

While all streamers hold some non-exclusive sports rights, here are the key highlights from their exclusive deals.

Leonardo Fernandez / Getty Images

Apple

Apple has been making significant strides in the sports streaming space, driven by its push to expand Apple TV+ beyond original programming. Apple’s strategy has been focused on securing exclusive rights to high-profile events, which can drive subscriptions to its streaming service. Apple’s first big win came in early 2022 when it inked a deal for exclusive rights to stream MLB‘s Friday Night Baseball matchups. This deal not only gives Apple the rights to stream MLB games but also includes pre- and post-game shows, enriching the viewing experience for fans.

In addition to baseball, Apple secured an exclusive 10-year partnership with Major League Soccer (MLS) in 2023 to launch MLS Season Pass on Apple TV. Apple’s streamer provides every MLS match without local blackouts, giving fans unprecedented access to games. The partnership also includes behind-the-scenes content, player interviews, and original programming to deepen engagement with the league.

Beyond baseball and soccer, Apple has been rumored to be in discussions for other sports, including professional football and basketball. Apple also launched the Apple Sports app early last year to provide real-time stats across all major sports.

People are questioning Apple TV+’s spending as the platform loses over $1 billion per year despite having around 45 million subscribers, The Information reported this week. Apple allocates approximately $4.5 billion annually to content.

Amazon’s Prime Video

Amazon’s Prime Video has been a significant player in sports streaming, particularly professional football. In 2022, Amazon secured exclusive rights to Thursday Night Football (TNF) in a historic 11-year deal with the NFL worth $1 billion annually. The streaming service has also invested in broadcasting the NFL Playoffs and has plans to expand its sports offering across other leagues.

Now, Amazon is making a big push into basketball with a landmark 11-year streaming deal with the NBA and WNBA, beginning in 2025. Prime Video will be the exclusive home for 66 NBA regular-season games, including the Emirates NBA Cup, Play-In Tournament, and select playoff matchups, while also streaming 30 WNBA games per season, including postseason coverage. The deal expands Amazon’s global reach, adding live-game rights in key markets such as Mexico, Brazil, and Europe. Prime Video will also serve as the global hub for NBA and WNBA League Pass, giving subscribers even more ways to watch live and on-demand basketball.

Amazon’s strength lies in its ability to leverage its existing customer base of millions of Prime subscribers and integrate sports content into its wider entertainment offering. Amazon’s analytics and data integration also offer real-time insights in one platform.

YouTube TV

YouTube’s push into sports streaming is relatively new compared to other streamers but is rapidly gaining traction. In 2023, YouTube secured the rights to stream NFL Sunday Ticket, a package of out-of-market NFL games, for $14 billion over seven years. This was a monumental shift, as YouTube replaced DirecTV as the home for Sunday Ticket, which had been a cornerstone of the satellite TV service for over two decades.

YouTube is leveraging its existing platform, which already hosts countless sports highlights, commentary, and fan channels. The integration of Sunday Ticket offers a new avenue for fans to access live games. It also provides YouTube with the unique opportunity to tap into the massive sports audience that watches YouTube regularly. Furthermore, YouTube’s user interface and engagement features make it easy for fans to interact with content, providing a sense of community through live chats, real-time polls, and more.

Peacock

NBCUniversal’s streaming service, Peacock, has been steadily expanding its sports portfolio, securing exclusive rights to major events. It remains the U.S. streaming home for Premier League soccer and the Olympics while also holding exclusive rights to WWE content, including premium live events like WrestleMania, Summer Slam, and Royal Rumble. The platform also has exclusive rights to stream Sunday Night Football; 50 NBA games (and playoffs); 120 plus college basketball games across the Big Ten, Big East, and Atlantic Ten; Big Ten football; and Notre Dame football.

In 2024, Peacock launched the Peacock Sports Pass, a streaming package specifically for commercial establishments, which lets subscribers stream the sports content mentioned above, plus Big Ten football, motorsports, golf, rugby, and more. NBCUniversal also recently inked a $3 billion media rights deal with the International Olympic Committee, securing streaming rights for the 2034 Salt Lake City Winter Olympics and the 2036 Summer Games.

Paramount+

As the exclusive home of NFL games on CBS and a key player in broadcasting March Madness, Paramount+ is becoming a go-to service for sports fans who follow both football and basketball. Paramount+ is also home to Serie A soccer, and UEFA Champions League games, establishing itself as a major destination for soccer fans in the U.S.

ESPN+

ESPN+ remains a major player in the sports streaming world, with extensive rights to sports like UFC, NHL, MLS, and college sports. Additionally, ESPN+ is the primary platform for streaming Monday Night Football in partnership with Disney’s ABC. With a portfolio that also includes exclusive access to the 30 for 30 documentaries and live events, ESPN+ continues to be one of the most popular sports streaming services in the U.S.

WWE Chief Content Office Triple H at Netflix’s LA Premiere of WWE Monday Night Raw in January. (Chad Salvador / Variety via Getty Images)

Netflix

Netflix has been experimenting with sports-related content, signaling a potential move into live sports rights. While its strategy has largely focused on behind-the-scenes documentaries and original series, the streamer’s $5 billion acquisition of exclusive rights to WWE’s Raw marks a significant shift toward live sports programming, securing the popular wrestling show for the next decade. Additionally, the streamer made its NFL debut last year, hosting the league’s Christmas Day games, which averaged 26.5 million viewers in the US alone.

Beyond WWE, Netflix is actively preparing its platform to handle the technical demands of live sports. The company has been testing live-streaming capabilities with comedy specials, a new weekly series called Everybody’s Live With John Mulaney, and celebrity golf tournaments, refining its infrastructure for larger-scale events. As Netflix ramps up both its sports content and technical readiness, it’s positioning itself as a serious contender in the competitive sports streaming landscape.

Who’s Winning?

Apple, Amazon, and YouTube are reshaping sports streaming, challenging traditional broadcasters, and pushing platforms like ESPN+ and Peacock to adapt. While the battle for dominance continues, one thing is clear: sports are now spread across so many platforms that consumers face subscription fatigue. As more services compete for exclusive rights, platforms need to consider how many subscriptions fans are actually willing to pay for — because, at some point, the cost of access may outweigh the convenience.

Tech Byte

Roblox has announced an open-source 3D foundational model, a new AI-powered tool that allows users to generate 3D objects from text prompts, aiming to speed up content creation on the platform. This tool is part of Roblox’s broader AI push, which includes plans for 3D object creation from images, speech-to-text, and real-time language translation. By simplifying 3D content generation, Roblox hopes to attract more developers and expand beyond traditional game design. While the tools are free, usage will be capped to prevent overuse.

This Week in Tech

  • GM is partnering with Nvidia to bring AI into its cars and factories, improving vehicle technology, manufacturing, and future autonomous driving. This collaboration will help GM build smarter vehicles, streamline production, and enhance features like hands-free driving and over-the-air updates.
  • Google announced the Pixel 9a, its budget-friendly smartphone, featuring a sleek new design and offering up to 30 hours of battery life—the longest of any Pixel phone. Priced at $499, the device boasts a 48MP main camera, Gemini AI for enhanced multitasking, and a range of AI-powered features like Magic Eraser and Best Take.
  • Yum! Brands, the parent company of KFC, Taco Bell, Pizza Hut, and Habit Burger, is partnering with Nvidia to integrate AI across its 61,000 restaurants worldwide, making Nvidia its first AI restaurant partner. The collaboration will enhance Yum!’s proprietary Byte by Yum! platform with AI-powered voice ordering, computer vision for operations, and AI-driven analytics, with plans to scale across 500 locations in the second quarter of 2025.
  • Google has agreed to acquire cloud security platform Wiz for $32 billion in cash, marking its largest acquisition to date. Once the deal closes, Wiz will join Google Cloud, bringing its security solutions to a broader audience while continuing to support major cloud providers like Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure, and Oracle Cloud.
  • Fast Company published its annual list of top innovative companies, highlighting 50 top brands dominating their respective industries. Tech was represented prominently, with robotaxi leader Waymo taking the top spot, followed by other tech notables, including Nvidia, YouTube, DeepSeek, Bluesky, and Tubi.

The Numberline

YouTube Shorts are surging in popularity, generating up to 70 billion daily views, up 25% from this time last year. A new report highlights that collaborating with established creators is the most effective way for brands to boost engagement and connect with audiences.

More Tech:

Michelai Graham

Michelai Graham is a tech reporter and digital creator who leads tech coverage at Boardroom, where she reports on Big Tech, AI, internet culture, the creator economy, and innovations shaping sports, entertainment, business, and culture. She writes and curates Tech Talk, Boardroom’s weekly newsletter on industry trends. A dynamic storyteller and on-camera talent, Michelai has covered major events like the Super Bowl, Formula 1’s Las Vegas Grand Prix, and NBA All-Star. Her work has appeared in AfroTech, HubSpot, Lifewire, The Plug, Technical.ly DC, and CyberScoop. Outside of work, she produces the true crime podcast The Point of No Return.