Disney, NBC, and Amazon Are Reportedly Finalizing Their New TV Deals With the NBA
The Walt Disney Company, along with NBC and Amazon, is finalizing a deal with the NBA that will keep ESPN and ABC as the premiere basketball channels in the country.
According to a report from Sports Business Journal, industry sources believe that Disney will ultimately pay $2.8 billion annually for the NBA’s “A” package. This will include the television rights to the NBA Finals, one of the conference finals, weekly primetime games, and the WNBA. It may also include shared international rights.
![NBA ESPN](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Screenshot-2024-05-22-at-10-38-50-NBA-ESPN-Logo-1920x1080.webp-WEBP-Image-1920-×-1080-pixels-—-Scaled-62-1024x576.png)
![NBA ESPN](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Screenshot-2024-05-22-at-10-38-50-NBA-ESPN-Logo-1920x1080.webp-WEBP-Image-1920-×-1080-pixels-—-Scaled-62-1024x576.png)
Photo: ESPN
NBC, meanwhile, will replace Warner Bros. Discovery’s TNT as the NBA’s other linear television partner. The New York has agreed to the league’s “B” package, which will include a Sunday night Basketball Night in America, two primetime windows a week, a conference final series, and conference semifinal rights. The deal is reportedly worth $2.6 billion annually.
![NBA on NBC](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Screenshot-2024-05-22-at-10-42-18-Report-NBC-Could-Steal-NBA-Rights-from-TNT-to-the-Tune-of-Around-2.5-Billion-Per-Year-r_television.png)
![NBA on NBC](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Screenshot-2024-05-22-at-10-42-18-Report-NBC-Could-Steal-NBA-Rights-from-TNT-to-the-Tune-of-Around-2.5-Billion-Per-Year-r_television.png)
Photo: NBC
Finally, Amazon is set to enter the NBA business with a deal that includes the rights to the NBA’s In-Season Tournament, the Play-in Tournament, first-round playoff games, WNBA, and international rights.
Disney Doubled What It Was Previously Paying the NBA
For Disney, the new deal means that it will be business as usual for the Worldwide Leader in Sports. In order to secure the NBA rights moving forward, Disney agreed to double the $1.4 billion that it paid the NBA under the old television rights deal.
![ESPN](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/2024-espn-logo.jpg)
![ESPN](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/2024-espn-logo.jpg)
Photo: ESPN
With live sports continuing to serve as the backbone of linear television and ESPN set to make the full jump into streaming next year, Disney could not afford to let the NBA get away.
What About Warner Bros. Discovery and TNT?
The big question, however, is the NBC contract. According to numerous sources, Warner Bros. Discovery will have the ability to match the NBC deal and retain TNT’s basketball rights.
![Warner Bros Discovery](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Screenshot-2023-12-20-at-16-14-35-119841-warneragain.jpg-WEBP-Image-1152-×-593-pixels-—-Scaled-95-1024x527.png)
![Warner Bros Discovery](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Screenshot-2023-12-20-at-16-14-35-119841-warneragain.jpg-WEBP-Image-1152-×-593-pixels-—-Scaled-95-1024x527.png)
Photo: Warner Bros
As Warner Bros. Discovery does not have the same bandwidth that NBC does, however, “matching” the deal could include more than simply meeting the NBA’s asking price.
![Inside the NBA](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Inside-the-NBA-1024x535.jpg)
![Inside the NBA](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Inside-the-NBA-1024x535.jpg)
Photo: TNT
According to the Sports Business Journal, the league will argue that a “match” would need to take into account other factors such as ad revenue and broadcast window. If this were the case, Warner Bros. would likely have to pay a higher total than the $2.6 billion that NBC has agreed to.
A Blow to Venu
Warner Bros. Discovery’s failure to pony up for the new NBA rights would not only spell the end of the popular Inside the NBA on TNT, but it could put Venu, the new sports-centric streaming service created by Warner Bros., Disney, and Fox, in jeopardy before it even launches.
![Venu](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/venu_sports_logo-1024x576-1.jpg)
![Venu](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/venu_sports_logo-1024x576-1.jpg)
Venu
What Warner Bros. Discovery’s David Zaslav does next could have a drastic impact on the future of not only his own company but the media landscape as a whole.
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