Categories: Sports

Here’s what you need to know about the NBA’s upcoming 11-year, $76 billion media rights deal

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The NBA probably won’t be happy with the NFL making Christmas Day a regular part of its schedule. However, its new media rights deal has put both leagues in almost the same economic field.

NBA’s 11-year, $76 billion contract package Will begin with the 2025–26 season. The deal is for the same number of years as the NFL’s most recent agreement, which began with the 2023 season.

The deals with ESPN/ABC, NBC and Amazon Prime Video will average $6.9 billion per season. The NFL averages $10 billion a year, but that’s with five networks. Depending on how things go with TNT Sports, the NBA could cross the $7 billion threshold.

The NFL remains a top attraction due to its ratings and advertising potential. The NBA is in second place and may capture top dollars due to its young audience as well as tons of content.

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When does it end?

At least not for a few weeks. The NBA’s Board of Governors is meeting in Las Vegas next week and the deal could be approved there. Once the league sends the finished contract to TNT Sports, it will have five days to match one of the deals.

Does TNT Sports Have a Chance?

very slim. And if the NBA really wanted to keep one of its legacy partners in the game, it could have created a limited fourth package of games by now.

With TNT’s recent acquisitions of the French Open, early College Football Playoff games, the Big East and the Mountain West, it appears owner Warner Bros. Discovery is preparing for life without the NBA in late 2025. Turner Sports has owned the NBA since 1984.

TNT Sports is paying $1.4 billion per season. Considering the volume of the three packages on offer, this would make Prime Video rights something to try to match.

Why is the deal taking so long?

The leagues want financial certainty. For networks and media companies that own rights, live sports remains prime real estate for advertisers.

What benefit will the fan get from this?

You may need to refer to your channel guide often, but there will be a national NBA telecast every night on ABC, ESPN, NBC, Peacock or Prime Video during the last three months of the regular season.

Who has the top package?

ESPN and ABC will continue to be the home of the league’s major games, as well as the NBA Finals.

Even though the NBA would have two broadcast partners for the first time, The Walt Disney Company was adamant on not sharing the Finals. It would cost Disney $2.6 billion per year, which pays the NFL $2.7 billion per season for “Monday Night Football”, two playoff games and the Super Bowl in 2027 and 2031.

Under the current nine-year deal, which expires next season, ESPN/ABC pays $1.4 billion per year.

Welcome back, NBC

The network that carried all six of Michael Jordan’s titles with the Chicago Bulls and Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant’s first three championships with the Los Angeles Lakers is back after running the game from 1990 to 2002.

NBC will air a Sunday night package of games after the NFL regular season and NBA All-Star Weekend conclude. It will regularly air games on Tuesday nights and will have a package of Monday games streaming on Peacock.

NBC’s deal averages $2.5 billion per season, which is more than the $2 billion paid to the NFL for “Sunday Night Football.”

Does this mean ‘Roundball Rock’ is coming back?

Yes. However, you don’t have to wait until the end of 2025 to hear it as NBC licenses it for its basketball coverage during the Olympics.

Is the NBA entering the streaming world?

Yes, with Prime Video. It will feature games on Thursday nights after the NFL regular season ends, as well as games on Fridays and Saturdays.

Prime Video will also be the main network for in-season tournaments. It will pay an average of $1.8 billion per season (its deal with the NFL averages $1.1 billion per year).

Since ABC has the NBA Finals, who gets the rest of the playoffs?

There will be games on all networks during the first two rounds. When it comes to the Conference Finals, ESPN/ABC will have one series each season while NBC and Amazon Prime Video will alternate who runs the other.

What does this mean for the NBA?

Labor peace was achieved with a new collective bargaining agreement. Media rights work is going to be done. This expands the deck to 32 with a minimum of two teams. The teams will also get good financial benefits from the expansion fee.

For players, this means the league’s salary cap will increase by 10% annually. Get ready for the possibility that top players could be earning nearly $100 million per season by the mid-2030s.

Is the WNBA part of this rights deal?

Yes. All three partners will take the game. ESPN/ABC and Prime Video already carry the games while NBC will return to carry the WNBA after carrying it for the first six seasons (1997 to 2002). It’s possible the WNBA could still add more partners as it has done in recent seasons.