The NBA has executed a momentous new national television deal that is poised to reshape the landscape of basketball broadcasting for the next decade. This landmark agreement, valued at an astounding $76 billion, introduces new media partners and significantly ramps up the league's media revenues. Set to commence in the 2025-26 season, the deal will span 11 years, concluding at the end of the 2035-36 season.
New Media Partners and Coverage
Under this new pact, the NBA will welcome new partners into the fold, combining the strengths of a media company, a broadcasting company, and a streaming service. Notably, ABC and ESPN will continue their time-honored tradition of airing NBA Finals games, and they will broadcast one of the two conference finals series in 10 out of the 11 years. Fans can also expect ABC/ESPN to televise Christmas Day games, marquee Saturday and Sunday regular-season matchups, and approximately 18 games in the first two rounds of the postseason each year.
The broadcasting company included in the deal will handle coverage of one of the conference finals series in six of the 11 years. Their comprehensive coverage will also extend to the All-Star Game, NBA All-Star Saturday night, opening night, and Sunday night primetime games. The company and its associated streaming service are set to broadcast around 28 games in the first two rounds of the playoffs every season.
Prime Video will significantly expand its involvement in NBA coverage by streaming one of the conference finals series in six out of the 11 years. In addition to these high-stakes playoff games, Prime Video will carry NBA Cup games and Play-In Tournament games, streaming roughly one-third of the first and second postseason rounds annually.
Broadening Reach and Accessibility
The NBA Commissioner Adam Silver expounded on the expansive reach and adaptability of the new agreements, stating, "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."
This infusion of new partners comes as the league's current nine-year, $24 billion deal draws to a close at the end of the 2024-25 season. The new arrangement not only dwarfs the previous deal in value but also promises to significantly increase the NBA's annual national media income by approximately 2.6 times. With this infusion of capital, franchise values, and player salaries are expected to see substantial growth.
Impact on Teams and Salary Cap
The combined earnings of the NBA's 30 teams reached about $10.6 billion in 2023, with national television revenue standing as the largest contributor. This monumental new deal will further boost those earnings. Concurrently, the NBA has stipulated that the salary cap cannot rise by more than 10% per year, but with the new influx of media revenue, the cap is expected to increase by the maximum allowable each year beginning in the 2025 offseason.
The league has left out Warner Bros. Discovery from the new deal, marking a significant shift as Turner Sports, under Warner Bros. Discovery, has been broadcasting NBA games since 1989. The upcoming season is set to be the last for "Inside the NBA" in its current format, a show synonymous with the league's broadcast history.
The NBA expressed its gratitude for the decades of coverage from Turner Sports, stating, "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."
A New Era for NBA Broadcasting
NBA fans can look forward to a new era of basketball viewing with the overarching goal of maximizing accessibility and reach. "Throughout these negotiations, our primary objective has been to maximize the reach and accessibility of our games for our fans," the NBA stated, underscoring the intent behind these major changes.
As the league shifts into this new chapter of broadcasting, the inclusion of diverse media platforms aims to transform how fans engage with their favorite teams and players, ensuring that the excitement of the NBA reaches a wider audience than ever before.