TNT forfeits NBA broadcasting rights following league's refusal of offer, strikes agreement with Amazon.

The NBA finalized its 11-year media rights agreement with Disney, NBC, and Amazon Prime Video on Wednesday, rejecting Warner Bros Discovery's $1.8bn annual bid to extend their longstanding partnership with the league. The Board of Governors approved the media rights deals last week, projecting a total revenue of approximately $76bn over the course of 11 years. Additionally, the agreement encompasses the rights to the WNBA, with an expected total value of $2.2bn over the same 11-year period.

WBD was given a five-day window to match certain deals, and it declared its intention to exercise this right. However, the NBA did not view its offer as a genuine match. Consequently, the 2024-25 season will mark the end of TNT's nearly four-decade tenure, casting uncertainty on the future of the league's premier show.

TNT has been the holder of NBA media rights for 35 years. During this time, Inside the NBA, which features Charles Barkley, Shaquille O’Neal, Kenny Smith, and Ernie Johnson, has become the league’s prominent primetime show and an integral part of the NBA landscape. The move to Amazon and NBC raises questions about the future of the show. According to The Athletic, TNT may pursue legal action against the league regarding its decision. The network had set its sights on Amazon’s streaming component of the deal, but the NBA stated that TNT was unable to meet the terms offered by Prime Video.

“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 league said in a statement on Wednesday.

“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.”

Amazon Prime Video is set to broadcast games on Friday nights, select Saturday afternoons, and Thursday night doubleheaders, starting after the conclusion of Prime Video’s Thursday Night Football schedule. Additionally, Prime Video will take over the NBA League Pass package from WBD. The package will also feature at least one game on Black Friday and the quarter-finals, semi-finals, and championship game of the NBA Cup.

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver stated, “The digital opportunities with Amazon align perfectly with the global interest in the NBA. And Prime Video’s massive subscriber base will dramatically expand our ability to reach our fans in new and innovative ways.”

Jay Marine, global head of sports for Prime Video, expressed, “Over the past few years, we have worked hard to bring the very best of sports to Prime Video and to continue to innovate on the viewing experience. We’re thrilled to now add the NBA to our growing sports lineup, including the NFL, UEFA Champions League, NASCAR, NHL, WNBA, NWSL, Wimbledon, and more. We are grateful to partner with the NBA, and can’t wait to tip-off in 2025.”

ESPN and ABC will retain the league’s top package, which includes the NBA Finals. ABC has carried the finals since 2003.

ESPN and ABC are set to broadcast around 100 games throughout the regular season. ABC will showcase over 20 games, primarily on Saturday nights and Sunday afternoons, while ESPN will present up to 60 games, predominantly on Wednesday nights along with a few Friday games. Additionally, ABC and ESPN will collaborate for five games on Christmas Day and will provide exclusive national coverage on the last day of the regular season. In the playoffs, both ESPN and ABC will televise roughly 18 games in the initial two rounds annually, as well as one of the two conference finals series in all but one year of the agreement.

NBC's return to broadcasting NBA games marks a significant milestone as the league now has two broadcast network partners. NBC is set to air up to 100 regular-season games, with a focus on Sunday nights after the NFL season concludes. Additionally, NBC will broadcast games on Tuesdays during the regular season, while a Monday night doubleheader will be exclusively available on Peacock. The network will also cover the All-Star Game and All-Star Saturday Night. In the playoffs, NBC will air up to 28 games in the first two rounds, with some games streamed on Peacock. At least half of the playoff games will be shown on NBC. Furthermore, NBC and Amazon will alternate carrying one of the two conference finals series in six out of the 11 years, starting with NBC hosting a conference final in 2026-27 followed by Amazon the following season.