The NBA has shaken the sports media landscape with a groundbreaking new national television deal poised to redefine how fans engage with basketball for the next decade. The agreement, valued at an astonishing $76 billion, introduces new partners into the fold and expands the league's reach significantly.
A New Era for NBA Broadcasting
Set to commence with the 2025-26 season, this 11-year deal will run through the end of the 2035-36 season. This substantial agreement dwarfs the current nine-year, $24 billion deal that concludes at the end of the 2024-25 season. The shift to an expansive new partnership structure marks a notable increase in the NBA's national media income by approximately 2.6 times.
ABC and ESPN, long-time broadcasters of NBA events, will continue to play crucial roles. They will broadcast the NBA Finals and, for 10 out of the 11 years, one of the two conference finals series. Additionally, ABC/ESPN will cover Christmas Day games, marquee Saturday and Sunday regular-season matchups, and about 18 games in the first two rounds of the postseason each year. This enduring relationship ensures that some of the most anticipated games remain a staple on these prominent networks.
New Partnerships and Expanded Coverage
In a strategic move to broaden its media landscape, the NBA has welcomed new partners. A media company and a broadcasting company, whose specific identities remain undisclosed, will share in the coverage responsibilities. The broadcasting company will take on one of the conference finals series six times out of the 11 years. It will provide comprehensive coverage of the All-Star Game, NBA All-Star Saturday night, opening night, and Sunday night primetime games. Additionally, this broadcaster and its streaming service will broadcast around 28 games in the first two rounds of the playoffs each season.
Prime Video, Amazon’s streaming service, emerges as a significant new player in the NBA broadcasting arena. Prime Video will stream one of the conference finals series in six of the 11 years. Its offerings also include NBA Cup games, Play-In Tournament games, and about one-third of the first and second postseason rounds each year. This inclusion signifies the NBA's foray into the increasingly digital viewership landscape, aiming to attract a tech-savvy audience.
End of an Era for Warner Bros. Discovery
Notably absent from the new deal is Warner Bros. Discovery. Turner Sports, part of the Warner Bros. Discovery umbrella, has been a significant broadcaster of NBA games since 1989. With this new agreement in place, the upcoming season is set to be the last for the venerable "Inside the NBA" show in its current form. Reflecting on this longstanding partnership, the NBA expressed gratitude: "We are grateful to Turner Sports for its award-winning coverage of the NBA and look forward to another season of the NBA on TNT."
Financial and Operational Impacts
This lucrative deal will have profound financial implications for the league and its stakeholders. The combined earnings of the 30 NBA teams were approximately $10.6 billion in 2023, with national television revenue being the largest contributor. The new agreement is expected to further drive franchise values and player salaries upward.
Regarding the salary cap, the agreement stipulates that it cannot increase by more than 10% per year. Consequently, this cap is anticipated to rise by the maximum amount each year starting in the 2025 offseason, ensuring a steady growth trajectory for player salaries.
Voices from the NBA
During the announcement, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver articulated the vision for this transformative deal. "Our new global media agreements with Disney, NBCUniversal, and Amazon will maximize the reach and accessibility of NBA games for fans in the United States and around the world. These partners will distribute our content across a wide range of platforms and help transform the fan experience over the next decade," he remarked.
The NBA's primary objective in these negotiations was clear: to enhance the accessibility of their games for the fans. As stated, "Throughout these negotiations, our primary objective has been to maximize the reach and accessibility of our games for our fans."
In summary, this monumental television deal ushers the NBA into a new era of broadcasting, with tremendous financial benefits and an expanded reach that promises to bring basketball closer to fans worldwide. With a mixture of traditional broadcasting and innovative streaming platforms, the NBA is poised to captivate and engage its audience like never before.