TV Competition Driving Rapid Sports Rights Growth, Says Rethink

Media rights revenue for the top 15 sports leagues will likely grow from $43.8 billion this year to $67 billion by 2028, Rethink Technology Research said Tuesday. It said growth won't be uniform, with MLB growing the slowest, with a compound annual growth rate of about 2% over the next five years, while the NBA is expected to enjoy a CAGR of 26.3%, reaching $13.5 billion in 2028, it said. Heated competition between legacy pay-TV systems and streaming new entrants is driving the growth, it said. Inevitably, sports leagues will take their content direct to the consumer exclusively via proprietary streaming platforms, it said.