Everything you need to know about the NBA's new broadcast rights package
The NBA has finalized an 11-year, $76 billion media rights deal that will spread games between Disney, NBC Universal and Amazon Prime Video.
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NBA fans can expect national broadcasts each night of the week, especially once the football season is over. NBC will own Mondays, while its Peacock streaming service takes Tuesday nights. ESPN will retain its regular Wednesday night window in addition to Fridays after college football ends as well as Saturday and Sunday games, which typically air on ABC. Prime Video will also stream games on Fridays and Saturdays during the regular season, and slot the NBA into its big Thursday night package after its Thursday Night Football NFL package ends in January.
ESPN reduced its inventory from around 100 games to around 80 to make space for a third partner, per Marchand. Still, Disney will pay the most for NBA rights at $2.6 million annually. NBC will pay $2.5 million annually while Amazon will pay $1.8 billion. The total sum is significantly more than media analysts projected in recent years as the league’s television ratings fell.
As TNT is phased out and two partners come aboard, the NBA broadcast talent arms race will begin over the next year-plus leading up to the start of the new deals next fall. If WBD does not mount an effort to match, next season would be the last for the beloved Inside the NBA studio showand make its announcing teams free agents as well.
