Turner Sports has confirmed its ongoing commitment to the NBA.
Warner Bros. Discovery has officially matched Amazon Prime Video’s $1.8 billion annual offer. Turner has been broadcasting NBA games since 1984, with games airing on TNT since the network’s launch in 1988.
In a statement, Warner Bros. Discovery said, “We have reviewed the offers and matched one of them. This will allow fans to continue enjoying our unmatched coverage, including top-notch live game productions and beloved studio shows and talent, while upholding our 40-year dedication for many more years. Our matching paperwork has been submitted to the league, and we eagerly await the NBA’s execution of 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 a recent meeting in Las Vegas. Warner Bros. Discovery received all three contracts, triggering a five-day window to decide if they wanted to match.
The new collective deals worth $76 billion will kick off in the 2025-26 season, featuring a nationally aired or streamed game every night in the second half of the season.
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The Prime Video offer includes Thursday night games after NFL broadcasts, with additional games on Friday and Saturday.
Amazon Prime Video declined to comment on Warner Bros. Discovery’s decision to match.
An NBA spokesperson confirmed that the league is currently reviewing the matching offer.
If the NBA accepts the match, TNT is likely to air games on Thursdays with other nights streamed on Max.
During an RBC Investor Conference in November 2022, Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav had hinted at the possibility of not having the NBA in the future.
Despite the expiration of the exclusive negotiation period in April, Warner Bros. Discovery and the NBA were unable to reach a deal. However, Warner Bros. Discovery reiterated its intention to match one of the deals in recent months.
It was revealed that Amazon’s offer included a provision to pay multiple years upfront into an escrow account, which many believed would make it difficult to match. Nonetheless, Warner Bros. Discovery assured the league of its financial capability to meet this provision.
Warner Bros. Discovery is currently paying $1.4 billion per season under the current nine-year deal set to expire after the next season.
The retention of the NBA is crucial for Warner Bros. Discovery to maintain its current subscriber fees with cable and satellite providers. It also ensures the continuation of the popular “Inside the NBA” show.
It is anticipated that the NBA will finalize the media deals sometime this week, with ESPN and ABC retaining the top package featuring a conference finals and NBA Finals every year. NBC and Warner Bros. Discovery will alternate the coverage of one of the conference finals series.
The return of NBC as a broadcast partner, alongside WBD, marks the first time the league will have two broadcast network partners.
