NBA’s $76 Billion TV Deal: A New Era for Fans?
The NBA’s new $76 billion TV deal with Disney, Comcast, and Amazon marks a significant shift in how fans will watch games. This 11-year agreement (2025-2036) promises more nationally televised games but also introduces complexities with streaming.
The deal ensures nationally televised games every day of the week across ABC, ESPN, NBC, Peacock, and Amazon. Mondays will feature Peacock doubleheaders. Tuesdays will have NBC regional doubleheaders. ESPN continues its Wednesday doubleheaders. Thursdays will belong to Amazon after “Thursday Night Football” ends. Fridays offer a mix of Amazon and ESPN games. Saturdays maintain ABC’s prime-time games with occasional Amazon games. Sundays will feature NBC games after “Sunday Night Football” starting in January. NBCUniversal will air up to 100 games, Disney will broadcast 80, and Amazon will stream 66.
This distribution aims to maximize reach, but the inclusion of streaming services might challenge fans used to cable.
Warner Bros. Discovery was denied a chance to match Amazon’s offer, potentially leading to legal action. The NBA cited Amazon’s broader reach via Prime Video as the reason. Warner Bros. Discovery claims a misinterpretation of contractual rights. The situation remains unresolved.
Playoff coverage is also restructured. ABC keeps the NBA Finals and will broadcast a conference final in most seasons. NBC and Amazon will each air a conference final in six of the 11 years. Early rounds will be on Disney, NBCUniversal (including Peacock), and Amazon. Key events like opening night and All-Star Weekend move from TNT to NBC. The Emirates NBA Cup will be on Amazon.
Tuesday nights will see NBC air regional doubleheaders, one for Eastern/Central time zones and another for Mountain/Pacific, with later games potentially starting as late as 11 p.m. ET.
The future of League Pass and NBA TV is uncertain. The Amazon partnership might limit distribution on other platforms. The fate of “Inside the NBA” is also unclear, especially with Charles Barkley’s retirement plans.
The deal increases league revenue and potentially impacts the salary cap, but “cap smoothing” will mitigate drastic changes. The impact on regional sports networks is unclear, though Amazon’s investment in Diamond Sports suggests a strengthening relationship.
For fans, the deal is a mixed bag. More nationally televised games are positive, but accessing all games will require multiple subscriptions and potentially higher costs.
NBA players competing for a rebound
Finally, the TV deal paves the way for NBA expansion discussions. With secured finances, the league can address expansion in the near future, which many believe is inevitable.
