NBA
NBA Signs 11-Year Media Rights Deal With Disney, NBC, Amazon
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The NBA has signed new 11-year media rights agreements with The Walt Disney Company, NBCUniversal, and Amazon Prime Video, the league announced Wednesday. View the details below.
ABC/ESPN, NBC/Peacock, Prime Video Will Broadcast NBA Games
The NBA today announced the renewal of its partnership with The Walt Disney Company and new agreements with NBCUniversal (NBCU) and Amazon under which ABC/ESPN, NBC/Peacock and Prime Video will telecast NBA games beginning with the 2025-26 season and running through the 2035-36…
— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) July 24, 2024
The new media rights agreement begins in the 2025-2026 season and runs through the 2035-36 season.
Disney is the only company from the previous media rights agreement to re-up with the NBA. Under the new agreement, Disney will broadcast 80 NBA regular season games per season, including over 20 games on ABC and up to 60 games on ESPN. NBA Christmas Day games will remain on ABC and ESPN.
ABC and ESPN will broadcast 18 games in the first two rounds of the playoffs and a conference finals in 10 of the 11 years under the new deal. ABC remains the exclusive home of the NBA Finals.
NBCUniversal will distribute up to 100 regular-season games, with more than half of the games airing on NBC (Sunday and Tuesday). NBC will telecast the opening night doubleheader and at least two games on MLK Day (NBC/Peacock). Peacock will stream a doubleheader every Monday night of the season.
NBC is now the new home of NBA All-Star Weekend, including Rising Stars, All-Star Saturday Night, and the All-Star Game.
NBC and/or Peacock will air approximately 28 games in the first two rounds of the playoffs. NBC will also telecast a conference finals in six of the 11 years on a rotating basis with Amazon.
Amazon will run 66 regular season games on Prime Video, including doubleheaders on Thursdays and Fridays, and select Saturday games. There will also be at least one Prime Video NBA game on Black Friday.
Prime Video will stream the quarterfinals, semifinals, and finals for the NBA In-Season Tournament.
All six games in the NBA Play-In Tournament will air on Prime Video. Additionally, Prime Video will stream approximately one-third of the first and second rounds of the playoffs. Prime Video will rotate with NBC to host one of the two conference finals in six of the 11 years.
Under the new deal, Prime Video is the NBA’s strategic partner and third-party global destination of NBA League Pass.
Disney, NBCUniversal, and Amazon will air WNBA games under this new agreement. Disney and Amazon will also distribute G League games.
The NBA Rejects Warner Bros. Discovery Package
NBA announces that Warner Bros. Discovery did not match the terms of Amazon Prime and are agreeing to a longterm arrangement with Amazon. pic.twitter.com/5bYI2i1vFd
— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) July 24, 2024
Earlier this week, Warner Bros. Discovery attempted to match Amazon’s offer to retain its NBA rights. However, the NBA announced it rejected Warner Bros. Discovery on Wednesday.
“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,” the NBA said in a statement. “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. We are grateful to Turner Sports for its award-winning coverage of the NBA and look forward to another season of the NBA on TNT.”
This means that the 2024-2025 season will be the final edition of Inside the NBA on TNT. It remains to be seen if one of the new networks tries to license Inside the NBA or hire some of the show’s analysts.