The NBA has officially turned down Warner Bros. Discovery’s bid to secure a new media rights package, choosing instead to partner with Amazon.

New era for NBA’s media rights game

The league’s decision marks a significant shift in broadcasting rights, with Amazon set to acquire a prominent share of NBA games starting from the 2026 season.

Warner Bros., which has broadcast NBA games on its TNT network since 1989, had hoped to continue its association with the league.

However, the NBA’s rejection of Warner’s bid, which reportedly fell short of Amazon’s offer, highlights the intensifying competition for sports media rights.

The rejection follows a protracted negotiation period, concluding in April, which saw the media rights landscape shift dramatically.

New NBA deal favors streaming platforms

The NBA’s new deals, valued at approximately $77 billion over 11 years, include partnerships with Amazon, NBCUniversal, and Disney.

Amazon is poised to leverage its Prime Video platform to deliver a substantial package of NBA content, including regular season and playoff games, the play-in tournament, and a share of conference finals.

NBCUniversal’s bid, reported at $2.5 billion, will see the network broadcasting around 100 games per season, with a significant portion exclusive to its streaming service, Peacock.

Disney will continue its role as a major broadcaster, increasing its annual payment to $2.6 billion to retain its NBA rights, including the NBA Finals and one of the conference finals for most of the deal’s duration.

This shake-up underscores the evolving media landscape, where tech giants and streaming platforms are increasingly dominating the sports broadcasting arena.

For Warner Bros., the loss of NBA rights impacts not only its game broadcasts but also related content such as the popular show “Inside the NBA.”

The decision to favor Amazon over Warner Bros. reflects broader trends in the media industry, where streaming services are becoming crucial players in sports broadcasting.