The upcoming NBA media rights deal has been a subject of speculation, as ESPN and TNT’s contracts expire after the 2024-25 season. Now, we have learned that Amazon Prime Video will be joining the package as a new partner. According to The Athletic’s Andrew Marchand, Amazon’s deal with the league will begin in the 2025-26 season and is expected to last at least 10 years. The agreement includes regular season and postseason games, with the potential to include conference finals and global broadcast rights.
The financial terms of the deal are not yet disclosed, but it is reported that ESPN paid $1.6 billion per year in its agreement while TNT paid $1.2 billion per year. ESPN/ABC is also said to be working on a new deal that would give ABC exclusive rights to the NBA Finals for at least a decade. However, ESPN may televise fewer games under the new package, potentially opening up broadcasts to another TV partner.
The question of who will broadcast those games remains, with NBC reportedly interested in regaining NBA broadcast rights. NBC has been without NBA games since 2002 but is eager to provide content for its streaming platform, Peacock. Warner Bros. Discovery, which owns TNT, has the right to match any deal for NBA broadcasts and losing those telecasts could leave a major gap in their programming. Additionally, Google has expressed interest in carrying NBA League Pass, indicating that significant shifts could occur in the league’s media landscape in coming years.
Overall, this next media rights deal promises to bring changes and excitement for basketball fans around the world as they look forward to watching their favorite teams play on different platforms and channels than before!