Amazon, NBC Join ESPN in Mega Deal, Report Says

Live sporting events are always ticketed.

That’s the message coming out of the NBA’s new television and media rights deal, which will net the league an estimated $76 billion over 11 years — $6.9 billion per season — with Disney (ABC/ESPN), NBC and Amazon, according to Andrew Marchand of The Athletic.

The NBA’s new television broadcast contract nearly triples the current contract that began in 2015-16 and ends after the 2024-25 season. The new contract will begin in 2025-26 and end in 2036-37.

Turner Sports (TNT) is not part of the new deal. However, Turner Sports has the option to match a portion of the deal, which could be Amazon’s share of the pie, according to Marchand.

Disney will pay $2.6 billion, NBC $2.5 billion and Amazon $1.8 billion annually in a deal that introduces a larger streaming service for the NBA’s media partners. Amazon’s arrival in the NBA fold is no surprise given that it has a deal to broadcast WNBA games and the league has a working relationship with the company.

NBA Returns to NBC

Could “Roundball Rock” be making a comeback? The “NBA on NBC” theme song, one of the most iconic in history, could be making another appearance as the Peacock network returns to the world of basketball, agreeing to a broadcast deal to air the league’s third package of games. NBC is taking over from Turner Sports.

Comcast subsidiary NBCUniversal is reportedly paying $2.5 billion a year for its offering. The finale is still expected to air exclusively on ABC and ESPN.

In total, the NBA has agreed to a new media rights deal that would bring the league about $7 billion per season and would begin with the 2025-26 season.

The previous media deal, announced in 2014, was worth $24 billion — $2.67 billion annually — and continued the league’s relationship with ESPN/ABC and TNT.

Amazon’s stake in NBA TV deal

The NBA is now in the streaming sector.

The league and Amazon have reached a deal that would see the streaming service pay $1.8 billion a year to broadcast games. The company’s deep pockets would help expand its sports portfolio, which includes the NFL, to which it pays $1 billion a year for “Thursday Night Football.”

Amazon is reportedly set to become home to the NBA’s seasonal tournament.

ESPN and ABC have had the rights to broadcast the NBA regular season and playoffs since the 2002-03 season, after acquiring those rights from NBC, which aired the games for 12 years during the height of the Michael Jordan era.

What does this mean for the NBA TNT team?

Turner’s standout series “Inside the NBA” could see its final season in 2025.

Ernie Johnson said he would stay at Turner if the network lost its NBA rights. Charles Barkley said if TNT dropped basketball, he would become a free agent and is unsure if the show would continue, especially after Johnson’s comments.

The show has won 18 Sports Emmy Awards, including six for Outstanding Weekly Show, with Johnson and Barkley winning multiple Emmys for Outstanding Studio Host and Outstanding Studio Analyst, respectively.