The NBA said Wednesday that Warner Bros. Discovery's latest TV rights bid didn't match an earlier $1.8 billion-a-season offer made by Amazon, and that the league has entered a "long-term arrangement" with the online retail giant.
Updated: Warner's TNT unit subsequently disputed this claim, saying in its own statement that it matched Amazon's bid. “We think [the NBA has] grossly misinterpreted our contractual rights with respect to the 2025-26 season and beyond, and we will take appropriate action,” Warner's TNT says in its statement.
“Throughout these negotiations, our primary objective has been to maximize the reach and accessibility of our games for our fans,“ the NBA said in a statement. “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.
“We are grateful to Turner Sports for its award-winning coverage of the NBA and look forward to another season of the NBA on TNT,“ the league added.
Also Read: Warner Bros. Discovery Says It Matched NBA Rights Offer
In a separate statement, the National Basketball Association said it had officially signed new 11-year TV contracts with The Walt Disney Co., NBCUniversal and Amazon, leaving longtime incumbent WBD and its TNT Sports division, formerly known as Turner Sports, out in the cold after this season, the final year of the current deal.
The statement from the NBA comes two days after WBD put out its own message, saying it had matched Amazon's offer to assume what is essentially a new slice of the NBA's national TV rights pie.
“‘We look forward to the NBA executing our new contract,” the media company said Monday.
The league didn’t explain exactly what was in Amazon's offer that wasn't in Warner's. But Wednesday’s door slamming seemingly ends an historic run for the league on TNT and its long-popular Inside the NBA studio show.
Also remaining unclear: Whether WBD CEO David Zaslav and his legal team will peacefully agree with the NBA’s definition of “matching offer.”
As for the new contracts, the league will collect $77 billion over the next three years. Here's how it divided its assets among the three media-tech giants:
• Disney’s ESPN and ABC remain the home of the NBA Finals, Christmas Day contests, ESPN games on Wednesdays, NBA Saturday primetime on showdowns on ABC, and NBA Sunday Showcase packages. Disney is paying a reported $2.6 billion a season for those rights.
• NBCU, under a $2.5-billion-a-season arrangement, will telecast the NBA's Opening Night and a new Sunday-night primetime package on and Tuesday regionalized games, on both NBC and Peacock. There will also be Peacock games on Mondays, and NBCU gets the NBA All-Star Game. Under the same negotiations, NBCU also carved out a new window with the WNBA that will see it broadcast more than 50 regular-season games and the first round of the playoffs on NBC, USA Network and Peacock. NBCU also has the WNBA Finals in 2026, 2030 and 2034, and it gets the league semifinals for seven seasons between 2026 and 2036.
• Amazon Prime Video will stream the SoFi-sponsored NBA Play-In Tournament, as well as the Emirates-branded tournament championship, called the NBA Cup. Amazon will also stream games on Thursday and Friday nights, and serve as “strategic partner” and “third-party global destination” of NBA League Pass. Amazon secured an WNBA window as well.
“The digital opportunities with Amazon align perfectly with the global interest in the NBA,” NBA commissioner Adam Silver said in a statement. “And Prime Video’s massive subscriber base will dramatically expand our ability to reach our fans in new and innovative ways.”
Of the NBA returning to NBC for the first time in more than 20 years, Silver noted, “The return of NBA basketball to the NBC Sports family comes with enormous benefits and excitement for our fans. And through its multiple platforms — especially NBC and Peacock — and its expansive resources, NBCUniversal promises to build on the deep tradition and history of the NBA on NBC.”
Added Mark Lazarus, chairman of NBCU Media Group: “With a unique presentation plan across NBCUniversal platforms during the regular season and postseason, as well as the midseason tentpole All-Star Game and events of All-Star Saturday, we have a strong slate that will help supercharge our overall content strategy across the portfolio."
Added ESPN chairman Jimmy Pitaro: “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.”
