Times are changing in the NBA.
During the NBA playoffs, we witnessed a real-time passing of the torch, as stars like LeBron James, Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant were eliminated in the early stages. Instead, the next generation of players, like Jayson Tatum, Luka Doncic and Anthony Edwards, led the charge as their teams advanced.
As new faces continue to take over the NBA, the league has agreed to a lucrative new television deal to bring the game to as many viewers as possible. The NBA’s current television deal is set to expire after the 2024-25 season, and there has been a lot of rumors about which networks would be part of the new deal.
Major brands like Disney (ESPN) and Amazon were rumored to have deals with the NBA and the league. He reportedly wanted three networks to broadcast his games.The final decision struck a chord with fans, who were torn between a current partner, Warner Bros. Discovery, and a former partner, NBCUniversal.
Warner Bros. Discovery owns TNT, meaning the fan-favorite studio show “Inside the NBA” featuring Ernie Johnson, Shaquille O’Neal, Charles Barkley and Kenny Smith would be in jeopardy. A deal with NBCUniversal meant the return of “NBA on NBC,” bringing back a bit of nostalgia with the network’s signature song “Roundball Rock,” which was associated with the league from 1990 to 2002.
As the NBA neared a deal with other networks, Warner Bros. Discovery reportedly He came back into the picture. Those talks were abruptly interrupted on July 24.
Now that the league has agreed to a new TV rights deal, The Jugo Mobile details below where you can watch future NBA games.
NBA TV Rights Agreement
The NBA had finalized an 11-year, $76 billion television deal with ESPN, NBC and Amazon, but TNT still had a chance to match it. According to Andrew Marchand of The Athletic.
On July 22, TNT announced that it had “reviewed the offers and matched one of them.” That offer is reportedly Amazon’s 11-year, $20.9 billion offer. According to Tom Friend of the Sports Business Journal.
However, on July 24, the NBA announced its new rights deals without TNT, saying in a statement that TNT did not match Amazon’s final offer. That means TNT will be out of the picture after the 2024-25 season, pending a potential lawsuit.
As NBA fans await the league’s decision, how will games be distributed among each network? Let’s take a closer look below.
What games will be on ESPN?
ESPN will “slightly reduce” its number of regular-season games, “going from around 100 now to somewhere in the mid-80s,” according to The Athletic.
ESPN will air games on Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays during the NFL season, then add action on Friday nights after the NFL season ends.
All three platforms will carry playoff games, but ESPN will maintain its coverage of the Conference Finals and NBA Finals after paying $2.6 billion for the rights, according to The Athletic and The Wall Street Journal.
ESPN and ABC have owned the rights to the NBA Finals since they took over the NBA on NBC in 2002.
What games will be on TNT or Amazon?
Previously, TNT aired Tuesday and Thursday nights with coverage of NBA All-Star Weekend, the NBA playoffs and the conference finals. Amazon’s proposed package wasn’t that different.
Amazon Prime Video has already gotten into the NFL schedule with “Thursday Night Football” and a few other games throughout the season. Before Monday’s news, Amazon was expected to be the home of NBA regular-season games, along with other major events and playoff games.
Amazon is expected to pick up primetime NBA coverage on Thursday nights after “Thursday Night Football” concludes. It would also air regular-season games on Friday and Saturday nights.
Amazon is also expected to take over the NBA’s seasonal tournament. It would also air playoff games and alternate conference finals with NBC.
Which games will be broadcast on NBC?
NBCUniversal is expected to host a “Basketball Night in America” broadcast on Sunday nights once the football season concludes, similar to its “Football Night in America.”
NBC will also have primetime games on Tuesdays throughout the NBA season, as well as “exclusive broadcasts” on its streaming service, Peacock, on Mondays.
NBC will host playoff games and alternate broadcasts of the conference finals with Amazon or TNT.