NBA Media Deals To Top $76B, WNBA $2B, Adding NBC, Prime Video To ESPN
Thursday, July 11, 2024 at 05:01PM NYSJ Sports-Entertainment Business News Service
UPDATED July 22, 2024: AP Sports: Turner Sports intends to continue its longtime relationship with the NBA.
Warner Bros. Discovery informed the league Monday that it will match the $1.8 billion per year offer by Amazon Prime Video. Turner has had an NBA package since 1984 and games have been on TNT since the network launched in 1988.
“We have reviewed the offers and matched one of them. This will allow fans to keep enjoying our unparalleled coverage, including the best live game productions in the industry and our iconic studio shows and talent, while building on our proven 40-year commitment for many more years,” Warner Bros. Discovery said in a statement.
“Our matching paperwork was submitted to the league today. We look forward to the NBA executing our new contract.”
The NBA’s Board of Governors approved the league’s 11-year media rights deals with Disney, NBC and Amazon Prime Video at its meeting in Las Vegas last Tuesday. WBD received all three contracts Wednesday, which started the five-day clock for whether it wanted to match.
An NBA spokesperson said the league is reviewing the matching offer. (Full story here.)
UPDATED July 17, 2024: The New York Times is reporting that the WNBA “is set to receive roughly $2.2 billion over the next 11 years in rights fees in its new deals — an average of $200 million a year — with an opening to earn more over that period.”
As part of the NBA’s new media rights deal — valued at $76 billion over 11 years — the WNBA will quadruple the $50 million the league receives in its current deal.
Like the NBA, the WNBA will have game packages with Disney, NBC and Amazon ESPN, NBC and Amazon will all have their own WNBA packages.
The WNBA’s current media deals with Disney, Ion, CBS and Amazon are set to expire after the 2025 season.
"As part of the NBA’s new media rights deal — valued at $76 billion over 11 years — the WNBA will quadruple the $50 million the league receives in its current deal."
The New York Times said the league also expects to sell two other rights packages, which could bring in an additional $60 million annually. Full story here.
July 11, 2024: The NBA messdia feeding frenzy has gotten even more frenzied.
The NBA is on the verge of signing 11-year deals beginning with the 2025-26 season that will see the continuation of ESPN/ABC, the return after more than a 20-year absence of NBC, the addition of Prime Video and the apparent jettison of long-time partner Turner Sports.
The deals are valued at more than $76 billion, about $6.9 billion per season, versus the league’ current contracts, nine years for $24 billion at an average of $2.7 billion annually, according to AP Sports, Forbes, Bloomberg and other news outlets.
The NBA could approve the deals at its scheduled board of governors meeting in Las Vegas next week.
The new alliance would cost Walt Disney Co, platforms $2.6 billion per year, Under the current nine-year deal, which expires next season, ESPN/ABC pay $1.4 billion per year, according to AP Sports.
NBC, which aired NBA games from 1990-2002, would pay $2.5 billion per year, with games also streaming on Peacock; Amazon’s Prime Video would pay an estimated $1.8 billion per year.
ESPN has been a NBA media partner since 2002, Turner Sports since 1984.
TNT Sports is currently paying $1.4 billion per season.
The new deals would also include the WNBA, which also has other media partners.
ESPN and ABC would continue to feature the league’s marquee games during weeknights and weekends as well as remain the exclusive home for the NBA Finals and one Conference Final.
NBC and Prime Video would alternate which carries the other conference final, according to ESPN and AP Sports.
“ABC has aired the NBA Finals since 2003. ABC would continue to air games on Saturday nights and Sunday afternoons when the NFL's regular season ends.
“ESPN's main nights will continue to be Wednesday with some Friday and Sunday games.”
When approved, the NBA would simultaneously have two broadcast partners — ABC and NBC — for the first time.
Regular season games would air nationally almost daily under the new deal,
NBC and Peacock games would air Tuesdays and Mondays, respectively; Amazon Prime Video primarily streamed Friday and Saturday; added to ESPN-ABC games during weeknight and weekends.
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