NBA Ends Deal w/ TNT, Reportedly Lands $77 Billion Dollar Contract w/ NBC, Amazon & ESPN As TNT Threatens Lawsuit

Shaquille O’Neal, Ernie Johnson, Kenny Smith, and Charles Barkley

NBA Ends Deal w/ TNT, Reportedly Lands $77 Billion Dollar Contract w/ NBC, Amazon & ESPN As TNT Threatens Lawsuit

Update (July 25, 2024): The NBA has officially ended its longtime partnership with TNT and landed a head-turning $77 billion deal with some of its competitors.

The league announced on Wednesday, July 24, that it has signed an 11-year deal with ESPN, NBC, and Amazon Prime Video. It reportedly refused to accept TNT Sports’ match, so the network could launch its own lawsuit against the NBA.

Meanwhile, the NBA’s new agreement is slated to kick off in the 2025-2026 season, giving TNT space to sue the NBA while its games are still airing on TNT.

The WNBA also signed a $2.2 billion deal with the aforementioned networks. That agreement is also good for 11 years.

Speaking on the controversial deal, the NBA said in a statement,

“Warner Bros. Discovery’s most recent proposal did not match the terms of Amazon Prime Video’s offer and, therefore, we have entered into a long-term arrangement with Amazon.”

“Throughout these negotiations, our primary objective has been to maximize the reach and accessibility of our games for our fans. Our new arrangement with Amazon supports this goal by complementing the broadcast, cable and streaming packages that are already part of our new Disney and NBCUniversal arrangements. All three partners have also committed substantial resources to promote the league and enhance the fan experience.”

TNT also released a statement of its own on the matter, which read,

“We have matched the Amazon offer, as we have a contractual right to do, and do not believe the NBA can reject it. We think they have grossly misinterpreted our contractual rights with respect to the 2025-26 season and beyond, and we will take appropriate action. We look forward, however, to another great season of the NBA on TNT and Max including our iconic Inside the NBA.”

Original Story (May 22, 2024): The NBA is on the brink of a major broadcasting shakeup, with reports indicating a shift of media rights from TNT to NBC starting from the 2025-26 season. Negotiations are in the final stages, with Disney (owner of ESPN), NBC, and Amazon in talks for new rights deals, according to Sports Business Journal.

NBC is leading negotiations with a potential $2.6 billion per year deal to take over TNT’s “B” package (secondary rights, such as regular-season games). Should this deal materialize, it could signal the end of TNT’s iconic Inside the NBA show, featuring Charles Barkley, Shaquille O’Neal, Kenny Smith, and Ernie Johnson.

While Warner Bros. Discovery, TNT’s owner, retains the right to match any offer made by NBC, discrepancies over the “total value” of NBC’s offer could spark a legal dispute.

NBC’s proposed lineup includes a weekly Sunday night Basketball Night in America slot, leveraging its success with Sunday Night Football.

Original ‘NBA on NBC’ Logo

In addition to NBC’s involvement, ESPN is set to retain the “A” package, covering the NBA Finals, while Amazon’s role will expand to include the in-season tournament, play-in tournament, and first-round playoff games.

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