The NBA announced on Wednesday that it has declined Warner Bros. Discovery’s offer of $1.8 billion per year to continue their long-standing partnership, opting instead to enter into a deal with Amazon Prime Video. This decision will mark the end of TNT broadcasting NBA games after nearly four decades.
This move indicates that the recent media rights deals approved by the NBA’s Board of Governors with Disney, NBC, and Amazon Prime Video are nearing finalization. These 11-year agreements, valued at approximately $76 billion, are set to bring significant changes to the league’s broadcasting landscape.
Despite having the opportunity to match components of these deals, Warner Bros. Discovery’s offer was not deemed a true match by the NBA. As a result, the 2024-25 season will be the final one for TNT as an NBA broadcaster.
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“Warner Bros. Discovery’s most recent proposal did not match the terms of Amazon Prime Video’s offer and, therefore, we have entered into a long-term arrangement with Amazon,” stated the league on Wednesday. The primary goal of these negotiations has been to increase the accessibility and reach of NBA games for fans, with the new partnership with Amazon reinforcing this objective alongside the Disney and NBCUniversal agreements.
Amazon Prime Video will air games on Friday nights, select Saturday afternoons, and Thursday night doubleheaders, following the conclusion of their “Thursday Night Football” schedule. Additionally, Prime Video will take over the NBA League Pass package from Warner Bros. Discovery.
“The digital opportunities with Amazon align perfectly with the global interest in the NBA,” said NBA Commissioner Adam Silver. “And Prime Video’s massive subscriber base will dramatically expand our ability to reach our fans in new and innovative ways.”
The package also includes special games like one on Black Friday and coverage of the NBA Cup’s quarterfinals, semifinals, and championship game.
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“Over the past few years, we have worked hard to bring the very best of sports to Prime Video and to continue to innovate on the viewing experience,” said Jay Marine, global head of sports for Prime Video. “We’re thrilled to now add the NBA to our growing sports lineup, including the NFL, UEFA Champions League, NASCAR, NHL, WNBA, NWSL, Wimbledon, and more. We are grateful to partner with the NBA, and can’t wait to tip-off in 2025.”
ESPN and ABC will retain the NBA Finals among their top package offerings. ABC has been the home of the finals since 2003.
ESPN/ABC will air almost 100 games during the regular season, with ABC showing over 20 games, primarily on weekends, and ESPN airing up to 60 games, mostly on Wednesdays and Fridays. The two networks will also broadcast five games on Christmas Day and have exclusive national coverage of the regular season’s final day.
During the playoffs, ESPN and ABC will televise around 18 games in the initial two rounds annually and one of the conference finals series in almost every year of the agreement.
The return of NBC to NBA broadcasts, after previously airing games from 1990 to 2002, will provide the league with two broadcast network partners for the first time. NBC’s deal includes up to 100 regular-season games, Sunday night games post-NFL season, Tuesday games, and a Monday night doubleheader streamed exclusively on Peacock.
NBC will also cover the All-Star Game and All-Star Saturday Night, along with up to 28 playoff games in the early rounds, at least half of which will air on NBC.
NBC and Amazon will alternate airing one of the two conference finals series in six of the 11 years. NBC will have a conference final in 2026-27, followed by Amazon in the subsequent season.
