Credit: Tomohiro Ohsumi/Bloomberg / Jerome Miron/Imagn ImagesIn a major development, London-based streaming platform DAZN will have a major hand in distributing local NBA broadcasts to fans next season. After initially considering a lifesaving merger or acquisition of Main Street, DAZN instead chose to allow the company to collapse and attempt to court local rights for franchises independently. DAZN is viewing the upcoming season as the first step of a long-term play to become the home of local NBA broadcasts. By hosting streaming rights for at least nine teams, DAZN hopes to prove itself as capable of competing with other major platforms, like ESPN and YouTube, which will also be interested in securing rights to the NBA’s future local broadcast hub. DAZN will reportedly pay “minimum guarantees” to the five teams selling their local rights exclusively to the platform.