Updated at 7:40am Pacific
BURBANK, CALIF. — It’s a decision that is perhaps indicative of how changing consumer media habits, and the desire of pro sports league to grow through the best reach vehicles, is rapidly reducing the negotiating power of entities that for decades have relied on cable television channels to win lucrative contracts.
The National Basketball Association (NBA) has renewed its agreement with The Walt Disney Company. But, it ultimately rejected efforts from Warner Bros. Discovery to get a contract renewal in place for its TNT Sports entity. Instead, the NBA on NBC is making a great return, while Prime Video will also telecast NBA games over a 10-year period.
Concurrently, Disney, NBCU and Amazon have also secured the right to distribute a large segment of Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) live game telecasts, with a “significant increase” in the reach of WNBA games across broadcast, cable and streaming.
Full details regarding the WNBA’s media agreements were forthcoming.
The NBA decision is a huge win for Comcast and NBCUniversal, as NBC held broadcast rights for a nascent association that was best-known for the Minneapolis Lakers from 1954 to 1962 and, in a highly successful second run, from 1990 to 2002.
Fueled by the Chicago Bulls and dynamic stars across the NBA, the league’s popularity exploded beyond markets such as New York, Los Angeles, Boston, Chicago, Houston and Detroit thanks to NBC’s broadcast coverage of games. During that time, the San Antonio Spurs rose to championship-level caliber. The Miami Heat and Orlando Magic ascended as new teams to the league, too.
Now, in a “turn back the clock” moment, the NBA is eschewing cable television distribution for more broadcast TV — a trend that The E.W. Scripps Co.’s Scripps Sports and Gray Television’s Peachtree Sports Network are fueling.
Specifically, the new agreements do not commence until the 2025-2026 season and conclude with the 2035-2036 season. As such, current agreements that include TNT Sports remain in place.
TNT parent WBD, led by David Zaslav, was not pleased with the final decision of the NBA. Legal action could be forthcoming. A statement released by TNT Sports condemning the selection of Prime Video and of NBCUniversal over WBD was distributed late Wednesday.
It appears as follows:
As the NBA sees it, the new media deals “will expand the reach of NBA telecasts,” with all national games available “on broadly distributed streaming services” — a.k.a. Amazon’s Prime Video, NBCU’s Peacock and ESPN’s forthcoming direct-to-consumer service.
Key to the deal is the “dramatically increased exposure on broadcast television” for the NBA.
Approximately 75 regular-season games will be on broadcast TV each season, up from the minimum of 15 games under the current agreement. For local over-the-air television stations that are NBC affiliates, this could be a win-win, with companies such as TEGNA and Hearst Television‘s WBAL-11 in Baltimore, WLWT-5 in Cleveland, WDSU-6 in Baton Rouge, and KCRA-3 in Sacramento each poised to rake in new revenue opportunities.
For those who like access to NBA games via a single app, the league’s own app will become a universal access point for all nationally televised games offered by Disney, NBCU and Amazon via their respective platforms.
“Our new global media agreements with Disney, NBCUniversal and Amazon will maximize the reach and accessibility of NBA games for fans in the United States and around the world,” said NBA Commissioner Adam Silver. “These partners will distribute our content across a wide range of platforms and help transform the fan experience over the next decade.”
ESPN Chairman Jimmy Pitaro added, “We look forward to building upon our incredible legacy of innovation and growth with our longstanding partners at the NBA. The NBA is a vibrant, ascendant league and through this premium collection of rights, including every NBA Finals on our platforms, we will continue to evolve together while successfully navigating the global digital transition and delivering the highest quality coverage for fans.”
Mike Cavanagh, President of Comcast Corporation, also chimed in. He said, “We are proud to once again partner with the NBA and WNBA, two iconic brands and the home of the best basketball in the world. We look forward to presenting our best-in-class coverage of both leagues with our innovative programming and distribution plan across NBC and Peacock to entertain fans and help grow the game.”
For Mike Hopkins, Head of Prime Video, the Amazon arm is “honored that the NBA has entrusted Prime Video to deliver its one-of-a-kind action and excitement to viewers around the world. We look forward to continuing to innovate and evolve live sports coverage for our customers, and are fully committed to building an incredible video experience for millions of NBA fans starting in 2025.”
BEHIND THE NBA’S NEW CARRIAGE AGREEMENTS
The Walt Disney Company
Disney (ABC/ESPN) will distribute a total of 80 NBA regular-season games per season, including more than 20 games on ABC (generally on Saturday nights with NBA Saturday Primetime and on Sunday afternoons with NBA Sunday Showcase) and up to 60 games on ESPN (generally on Wednesday nights and, on occasion, Friday nights). ABC/ESPN will continue to telecast all five NBA games on Christmas Day and provide exclusive national coverage of the final day of the regular season.
During the playoffs, ABC/ESPN will telecast approximately 18 games in the first two rounds each year and one of the two Conference Finals series in 10 of the 11 years of the agreement. ABC will remain the exclusive home of the NBA Finals, which it has broadcast since 2003.
All NBA games and events on ABC/ESPN will be available on ESPN’s forthcoming direct-to-consumer service. ABC/ESPN will continue to telecast the NBA All-Star Celebrity Game, NBA Draft, NBA Draft Lottery and half of all NBA Summer League games. ABC/ESPN platforms will also continue to distribute a package of WNBA and NBA G League regular-season and postseason games.
Disney will distribute NBA games on ESPN-branded assets in several international markets, including Latin America, sub-Saharan Africa, Oceania and the Netherlands, and via Disney+ in select markets in Asia and Europe.
By the end of this renewal, the NBA’s partnership with ABC/ESPN will reach 34 years.
NBCUniversal
NBCU (NBC/Peacock) will distribute up to 100 NBA regular-season games per season, with more than half of the games airing on NBC (on Sunday and Tuesday nights). NBCU will telecast the league’s opening night doubleheader on NBC each year and at least two games on Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day on NBC and/or Peacock each season.
Peacock will stream a doubleheader each Monday night of the season. Every Tuesday night, NBC will telecast two games across certain NBC affiliate broadcast stations in different regions of the country. The first game will start at 8 p.m. ET and be available on NBC across affiliate stations in the Eastern and Central time zones. The second game will start at 8 p.m. PT and be available on NBC affiliate stations across the Pacific and Mountain time zones. All Tuesday games will be available on Peacock nationally and certain stations may choose to televise both games.
NBC will become the home of NBA All-Star, including Rising Stars, State Farm All-Star Saturday Night, featuring AT&T Slam Dunk, Starry 3-Point Contest and Kia Skills Challenge, and the All-Star Game. In the playoffs, NBC and/or Peacock will telecast approximately 28 games in the first two rounds of the playoffs, with at least half of those games airing on NBC. NBC will also telecast one of the two Conference Finals series in six of the 11 years on a rotating basis with Amazon, beginning with the 2025-26 season.
As part of the partnership, NBCU will distribute NBA games in several European markets through Sky Sports as well as in the Caribbean and sub-Saharan Africa. Additionally, NBCU will distribute WNBA games and be the home of all USA Basketball Senior Men’s and Women’s National Team games.
Xfinity will become the Official TV Service of the NBA, WNBA and USA Basketball. The partnership includes collaboration on marketing and storytelling opportunities, virtual signage during game telecasts and activations at marquee NBA, WNBA and USA Basketball events.
Amazon Prime Video
Amazon will distribute 66 NBA regular-season games on Prime Video each season, including Thursday night doubleheaders beginning in January, Friday evening doubleheaders, select Saturday afternoon games, at least one game on Black Friday (the day after Thanksgiving), and the Quarterfinals and Semifinals in the Knockout Round of the Emirates NBA Cup. In addition, Prime Video will stream the Championship Game of the Emirates NBA Cup.
Prime Video will also distribute all six SoFi NBA Play-In Tournament games. In the playoffs, Prime Video will stream approximately one-third of the first and second rounds each year. Additionally, Prime Video will stream one of the two Conference Finals series in six of the 11 years on a rotating basis with NBCU, beginning with the 2026-27 NBA season.
Amazon will distribute NBA games globally as part of Prime Video, with an expanded package of games in select territories, including Mexico, Brazil, France, Italy, Spain, Germany, the United Kingdom and Ireland. This expanded package includes a minimum of 20 additional primetime regular season games each year, a Conference Finals series each year, and the NBA Finals in six of the 11 years. Prime Video will also become the NBA’s strategic partner and third-party global destination of NBA League Pass – the league’s live NBA game subscription service, with expanded distribution rights for NBA League Pass in the U.S. and internationally. Additionally, as part of the agreement, Prime Video will stream half of all NBA Summer League games as well as a package of WNBA and NBA G League regular-season and postseason games.
