NBA’s New $76B Streaming Deals May End TNT Broadcasts

The NBA is on the brink of finalizing new broadcast deals with Disney, Amazon, and NBC, poised to generate nearly $76 billion over the next 11 years, according to a report from The Wall Street Journal. These agreements could significantly alter how basketball enthusiasts consume their favorite sport, potentially shifting a large number of games to streaming platforms and possibly marking the end of TNT’s long-standing NBA broadcasts.

As per sources familiar with the negotiations, Disney is expected to increase its annual payment from $1.5 billion to $2.6 billion to secure broadcasting rights for the NBA on ESPN and its upcoming streaming service. Amazon Prime is also set to enter the fray, reportedly securing a $1.8 billion deal to stream select regular season and playoff games, including the new NBA in-season tournament and play-in games. This would be a groundbreaking move, as it represents the NBA’s first major rights package with a streaming-only service.

NBC, on the other hand, is anticipated to air approximately 100 games per season, with half of them exclusively available on the Peacock streaming service. This is part of a $2.5 billion per year deal, with games scheduled for Tuesdays and Sundays, unless there’s a conflict with Sunday Night Football. Additionally, each company would take turns broadcasting the NBA’s conference finals, while Disney would retain the rights to the NBA Finals.

These deals are slated to take effect after the 2024-2025 season and include broadcasting rights for the WNBA, which has seen an uptick in viewership since Caitlin Clark’s professional debut.

In light of these developments, Warner Bros. Discovery’s TNT network stands to lose its NBA broadcasting rights, which it currently holds under a $1.2 billion annual deal. However, Warner Bros. has the option to match other offers and could still make a bid to extend its broadcasting rights with the NBA. CEO David Zaslav expressed optimism about reaching an agreement, despite the impending changes.

This shift in broadcasting rights follows a failed contract extension between Warner Bros. and the NBA in April. Subsequently, NBC and Amazon emerged as contenders to expand their sports coverage, while Disney aimed to retain its NBA rights. NBC already pays over $2 billion annually for NFL rights, and Amazon pays $1 billion for Thursday Night Football. Losing NBA broadcasts would be a significant setback for Warner Bros. and TNT, which have been airing regular season and playoff games, as well as the iconic “Inside the NBA” show, for decades.