The Milwaukee Bucks have partnered with the NBA to launch Bucks+, a direct-to-consumer streaming service for in-market fans. This makes them the second NBA team, after the Oklahoma City Thunder, to join the league's in-house platform. The move comes as the team handles a period of transition 2026.
Instead of moving to the DAZN platform like several other teams, the Bucks opted to build their own service with the NBA. Bucks+ will cost fans $100 for a full season or $20 per month. By choosing this path, the franchise passed on a rights fee between $1 million and $2 million that DAZN was offering to teams. The decision was reportedly shaped by the offseason trade that sent Giannis Antetokounmpo to the Miami Heat. Team sources indicated that with Antetokounmpo on the roster, they believed fans would follow the team to any platform. Without him, they prioritized a familiar and seamless viewing experience through the NBA app and the Bucks' own website.
The new streaming offering is an addition to the Bucks' existing local broadcast agreements. Those over-the-air deals with various affiliates are worth a combined $7 million to $8 million in rights fees. So Bucks+ represents a separate, direct revenue stream aimed at fans who prefer to stream. You can always find the team's upcoming schedule on our schedule page.
This season's experiment with the Bucks and Thunder is a test run for the league. The NBA plans to launch a centralized streaming hub for the 2027-28 season. That platform would bundle the in-market streaming rights for most, if not all, 30 teams. It could then be sold to a major streaming service like Prime Video. Handling two teams now lets the league work out the operational details before a potential full-scale rollout.
The streaming news arrives as the Bucks work to define their new identity post-Giannis. Building consistency will be key for the reshaped roster moving forward.
