Report: NBA finalizes TV deal with NBC, Amazon & ESPN

Jul 11, 2024, 10:40 AM | Updated: 10:44 am

(Photo by Nic Antaya/Getty Images)

Lead Editor & Kings Beat Writer

The NBA has a new TV deal–and it’s a big one.

According to The Athletic’s Andrew Marchand, the league has finalized contracts with NBC, Disney (ESPN), and new partner Amazon on an 11-year, $76 billion deal.

While the language in the contracts has been agreed to, TNT could still throw a wrench into the NBA’s plans by matching one of the offers for streaming rights. Marchand reports that Warner Bros. Discovery’s David Zaslav may use language in the current contract to remain involved with the NBA.

Zaslav would target Amazon’s package if he chose to go that route.

NEWS: The NBA has finalized contracts with NBC, Amazon and ESPN as its TV partners, The Athletic has learned.

* TNT’s next move, what new NBA sked will look like and how ESPN kept hold of The Finals.

Details: https://t.co/oGHh0Ygp5L

— Andrew Marchand (@AndrewMarchand) July 10, 2024

The next step is for the league’s governors to approve the agreements with ESPN, NBC and Amazon, which is expected to be a formality.

The board of governors has meetings Tuesday in Las Vegas. At some point following the final step by the league’s governors, the NBA will send the finished contracts to TNT Sports.

At that point, the company will have five days to make its move. If it declines, then the NBA is expected to be an official announcement before the Olympics, which open on July 26.

The Athletic‘s Andrew Marchand – July 11, 2024

If the deal goes through as expected, basketball fans would be treated to NBA games on national TV seven days a week:

The NBA will borrow a page from the NFL, as following the end of football’s regular season, NBC will have the NBA succeed the highest-rated primetime show on television, “Sunday Night Football,” while, on Thursdays, Amazon will do the same after its TNF coverage concludes.

During the entire regular season, Amazon Prime Video is anticipated to have its other games streamed predominantly on Friday nights and Saturdays.

NBC will have games throughout the full NBA season on Tuesdays. Peacock, NBC’s streaming service, is expected to have exclusive telecasts on Mondays. Peacock will also simulcast all the NBC games.

ESPN will slightly cut down on the amount of regular-season games, going from around 100 now to the range of 80. During the NFL season, it will have its games on Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays, with its Saturday night game being its special ABC window. Later in the year, after the NFL, ESPN will have Friday night action, as well.

The Athletic‘s Andrew Marchand – July 11, 2024

More on the NBA TV deal with NBC, Amazon & Disney (ESPN)

On May 22nd, The Wall Street Journal’s Tom Friend reported that the NBA’s TV deal was entering its final stages. ESPN’s parent company, Disney, new partner Amazon, and the returning NBC will take over the share of nationally broadcasted games following the 2024-25 season.

The NBA is formalizing written contracts with Disney, NBC, and Amazon this week, with sources calling it the final stage of media rights negotiations that may inevitably lead incumbent Warner Bros. Discovery to take legal action

The Wall Street Journal’s Tom Friend – May 22, 2024

Part of the NBA on NBC partnership would include Basketball Night in America, similar to the network’s Sunday night coverage of the NFL, Football Night in America.

When is the next Sacramento Kings off-season date of interest?

Now that the 2024 California Classic is over, Sacramento will head to Las Vegas for the NBA 2K25 Summer League.

The Kings will play their first of five games on Friday afternoon against the top-ten pick Zach Edey and the Memphis Grizzlies with action set to tip off at 3:00 PM PDT.

Sactown Sports 1140 will have all of your Sacramento Kings coverage for the Las Vegas Summer League, free agency, and much more!