The NBA has reached an agreement on its new media deals, an unprecedented 11-year contract valued at $76 billion, ensuring that player salaries will keep increasing for the foreseeable future. This deal is set to alter the way some fans watch the game for years ahead. The existing contract, which expires next season, set those records with a nine-year term and a value of nearly $24 billion.
The agreement, setting NBA records in duration and total value, commences with the 2025-26 season. Games will remain on ESPN and ABC, with additional broadcasts moving to NBC and Amazon Prime. TNT Sports, a long-time member of the league’s broadcast partners since the 1980s, may exit unless it matches one of the new deals within five days.
Next week, a Board of Governors meeting is scheduled in Las Vegas, coinciding with the NBA Summer League. It appears likely that the deals, pending approval from various committees and other endorsements, could be finalized during that period.
The five-day period will commence when the league dispatches the finalized contracts to TNT, with The Athletic being the initial reporter on the matter. Meanwhile, TNT might contest the agreements, according to Andrew Marchand from The Athletic.
“While the NBA and its partner agreed to all the language, incumbent TNT Sports continues to threaten to match. The CEO of TNT Sports’ parent company, Warner Bros. Discovery’s David Zaslav, has publicly stated he may attempt to use language in the current contract to remain involved with the NBA. If Zaslav goes through with that, he is expected to target Amazon’s package.”
ESPN and ABC will retain the premier package of the league, which includes the NBA Finals and one conference finals series. ABC, which has broadcasted the NBA Finals since 2003, will continue to air games on Saturday nights and Sunday afternoons after the NFL’s regular season ends. ESPN’s main coverage will remain on Wednesdays, with additional games on select Fridays and Sundays.
The exclusivity of the Finals entails a significant price hike. The Walt Disney Company, the owner of ESPN and ABC, will shell out $2.6 billion annually in the new contract, a substantial increase from the $1.4 billion paid under the current agreement.
NBC has rejoined the NBA broadcasting team, having previously aired games from 1990 to 2002, marking the first time the league has two broadcast network partners. The network’s deal, anticipated to be worth $2.5 billion per season, will feature games on Sunday nights following the conclusion of the NFL season. Additionally, it will broadcast games on Tuesday nights during the regular season, with a special Monday night lineup of games exclusively streamed on Peacock.
Prime Video will host games on Thursday nights following the NFL season. Additional broadcasts are planned for Friday and Saturday nights. NBC and Prime Video will alternate coverage of the conference finals, with Prime Video’s rights averaging $1.8 billion annually.
One final point regarding Warner Brothers-Discovery Sports’ potential re-entry into the deal: it would likely involve an attempt to match the Prime Video package. However, they could have simply made an offer initially and avoided this entire process, which is likely to result in them missing out ultimately.
