Months of negotiations for the NBA’s next media rights deal neared an end Wednesday as the NBA prepared to strike a $76 billion deal over the next 11 years with Amazon, ESPN and NBC, the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported.
ESPN’s parent company, Disney, and TNT’s owner, Warner Bros. Discovery, sought to renew their current rights, with only Disney being successful, according to the WSJ. TNT’s portion of the rights will reportedly be given to NBC and Amazon under the proposed deal.
Exclusive: The NBA is nearing an 11-year deal with NBC, ESPN and Amazon that would bring in about $76 billion in revenue https://t.co/CDjcwCdc7P https://t.co/CDjcwCdc7P
— The Wall Street Journal (@WSJ) June 5, 2024
NBC will have the rights to about 100 games each year under the proposed deal for the annual price of $2.5 billion, around half of which will stream exclusively on Peacock, according to the WSJ. These games will reportedly be on Tuesdays and Sundays that do not coincide with NBC’s Sunday Night Football. (RELATED: Angel Reese Slapped With $1,000 Fine By WNBA For Not Doing Post-Game Interviews After Loss To Caitlin Clark: REPORT)
Amazon’s rights will most likely include both regular season and playoff games, the NBA’s recently implemented “In-Season Tournament” and the “play-in tournament,” according to the outlet. Disney will retain most of its current rights, including the NBA Finals, but will have a decreased number of regular season games, the WSJ reported.
The $2.6 billion annual package will reportedly include the rights for ESPN to launch a “direct-to-consumer” streaming package that is projected to launch in 2025. This is $1.1 billion more expensive than Disney’s current rights, the WSJ reported.
This deal is scheduled to take effect following the conclusion of the 2024 season and will include the rights to WNBA games. The rise of the WNBA has accelerated since Caitlin Clark’s emergence at the beginning of the 2024 season.
