With the rise of streaming services and an increase in cable-cutting, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver envisions a new future for how people are going to consume NBA content.
Starting with the 2025-26 season, TNT will end its 35-year partnership with the NBA and instead move to broadcast games live on Amazon.
Steph Curry holds live falcon as USA Olympic basketball stars receive heroic welcome
This is irrespective of concerns people have over stream quality when using Amazon, especially with their production of Premier League football matches.
Has the Amazon deal been signed?
In a groundbreaking $76 billion deal, Amazon will pay $1.8 billion annually, while NBC will contribute $2.5 billion each year.
The situation may become complex if TNT decides to intervene, which they have five days to do following the NBA Board of Governors’ approval of the deal with Bezos’ company.
Starting July 17, TNT can match the offers from NBC and Amazon. Reports suggest Turner Sports is considering matching Amazon’s “C package” deal, valued at $1.88 billion.
This package would allow TNT to broadcast the In-Season Tournament, now called the Emirates Cup, which saw an 8 percent viewership increase from the previous year. The Lakers vs. Pacers game in December drew nearly 4.6 million viewers, the highest for a non-Christmas sporting event in the past five years.
Could Bezos be in for a legal battle?
Adam Silver has voiced concerns that TNT’s involvement could lead to “complex legal issues” because Warner Bros. Discovery, which owns TNT, is not a streaming platform.
Silver reportedly opposes TNT creating a fourth package to broadcast alternative conference finals games, as he is determined to move NBA broadcasts to streaming platforms, a league source confirmed.
“Adam 100 percent believes he’s getting sued. Everybody in the NBA is preparing for a lawsuit,” the source admitted.
The main issue with TNT matching the offer is its capability to broadcast games instead of streaming them. TNT, owned by Warner Bros. Discovery, lacks the subscription numbers to compete with Amazon, which has over 170 million subscribers in the USA alone as of 2023.
If TNT matches Amazon’s bid, it could hinder the NBA’s strategic shift to streaming platforms from the 2025-26 season.
Charles Barkley, who confirmed he will retire from his analyst role after the next season, expressed mixed feelings on the outcome.
“I feel bad for everybody at TNT, all the people I’ve been working with for the last 24 years, they’re like family to me. I hope we match. Honestly, in my heart, I think we have lost the package. But I hope we get a last-minute reprieve for the people at Turner,” Barkley told CNBC.
