NBA inks $77B deals with Amazon, Comcast, Disney

The National Basketball Association (NBA) announced yesterday that it has signed 11-year media rights deals worth $77 billion with Disney, Comcast’s NBCUniversal, and Amazon.

It also turned down current rights holder Warner Bros. Discovery’s (WBD) recent attempts to retain broadcasting rights. TNT, the NBA’s longest-tenured broadcaster, will no longer air games after the next season. According to the NBA, Warner Bros. couldn’t match Amazon’s offer.

The league believes the deals will increase viewership, as it will stream matches alongside traditional broadcast channels. The NBA will also make more than double its current broadcasting fees per season.

Amazon will become the NBA’s first streaming-only partner, covering the NBA Cup and several regular season and playoff games.

Disney will continue to broadcast NBA games, with ABC hosting the NBA Finals and one of the conference finals for 10 out of the 11 years.

The games will also be available on NBC (owned by Comcast) and its streaming service, Peacock. They will include All-Star weekend coverage and a conference final in five years.

The contracts start in the 2025-26 season and end in the 2035-36 season.