NBA, TNT in Disagreement Over Record TV Deal

League signs deal, but Warner Bros. Discovery plans to fight
By Newser Editors and Wire Services
Posted Jul 25, 2024 12:00 AM CDT
NBA Signs Record TV Deal
FILE - An NBA logo is seen on an official game ball before a basketball game, Feb. 1, 2014, in New York.   (AP Photo/Jason DeCrow, file)

The NBA signed its record 11-year media rights deal with Disney, NBC, and Amazon Prime Video on Wednesday after saying it was not accepting Warner Bros. Discovery's $1.8 billion per year offer to continue its longtime relationship with the league, the AP reports. The media rights deals were approved by the league's Board of Governors last week and will bring the league about $76 billion over those 11 years. WBD had five days to match a part of those deals and said it was exercising its right to do so, but its offer was not considered a true match by the NBA. That means the 2024-25 season will be the last for TNT after a nearly four-decade run—though not long after the NBA signing was announced, WBD said it would take "appropriate action" and said it believes the NBA has to accept its offer.

Turner Sports strongly disagreed with the NBA's move, saying it believes the league "grossly misinterpreted our contractual rights." "We have matched the Amazon offer, as we have a contractual right to do, and do not believe the NBA can reject it," TNT Sports said in a statement. But, the league said, "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." Under the new deal, Amazon Prime Video will carry games on Friday nights, select Saturday afternoons and Thursday night doubleheaders that will begin after the conclusion of Prime Video's "Thursday Night Football" schedule. Prime Video will also take over the NBA League Pass package from WBD. (Many more details of how games will be distributed here.)

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