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NBA Secures Historic $77 Billion Broadcasting Rights Deal with Major Networks
The NBA has finalized a groundbreaking $77 billion broadcasting rights deal with major networks, revolutionizing sports media and ensuring fans enjoy unparalleled access to live games and exclusive content for years to come.
NBA Announces Groundbreaking Rights Agreements with Major Networks
The National Basketball Association (NBA) has made a significant announcement regarding new broadcasting rights agreements with major media companies, including Disney, Comcast, and Amazon. This landmark deal, valued at an impressive $77 billion over a span of 11 years, marks a substantial increase in the league’s annual revenue. It underscores the enduring significance of live sports programming, even amidst the evolving landscape of the entertainment industry driven by streaming platforms.
In the official announcement, the league revealed that it had turned down a bid from Warner Bros. Discovery, which sought to match Amazon’s competitive offer. This decision reflects the NBA’s strategy to align with partners who can maximize the reach and accessibility of its games for fans across various platforms.
The NBA stated, “Throughout these negotiations, our primary objective has been to maximize the reach and accessibility of our games for our fans.” The new partnership with Amazon is designed to enhance this aim by complementing the existing broadcast, cable, and streaming arrangements already in place with Disney and NBCUniversal. All three partners have pledged significant resources to promote the league and improve the overall fan experience.
The new agreements, which encompass both NBA and WNBA games, are set to commence with the 2025-26 season. Notably, these deals are projected to generate over two and a half times the average annual value of the league’s current broadcasting rights agreements.
Unfortunately for Warner Bros. Discovery, this marks the end of a long-standing relationship with the NBA, as the league will no longer be broadcasting games on TNT, a network owned by the company that has been airing NBA games since the 1980s. Warner Bros. Discovery had an exclusive negotiation window but hesitated to accept a different package of games than the one it currently holds. On Monday, the company announced that it had made a matching offer for one of the packages, which ultimately did not secure the deal.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.