ESPN, NBC, and Amazon secure NBA TV rights as TNT bid is turned down
The NBA and WNBA have signed agreements for the broadcasting and streaming of games for the next eleven years. The NBA deal will be in effect from the 2025-2026 season to the 2035-2036 season, while the WNBA agreement will cover the seasons from 2026 to 2036.
Pro basketball has been a mainstay of ESPN for years and continues to be, and the Disney-owned network remains the primary media rights owner for both leagues. ESPN will be the exclusive home of the NBA Finals for eleven years of the new deal, as well as five of the eleven years of the WNBA Finals. The games covered by ESPN’s deal are part of the sports network’s direct-to-consumer platform, and the NBA and WNBA game package is also available for streaming on Disney+ in select international markets.
While the majority of games will go to ESPN, basketball will be broadcast more live thanks to two new partnerships. NBC and Peacock have access to 100 NBA home games each regular season. Around 50 games will be exclusive to the Peacock streaming platform, including national Monday night games and double headers. The rest of the games go to Amazon. Prime Video is home to 66 regular season NBA games and 30 regular season WNBA games each year of the deal.
Casual basketball watchers may notice that TNT Sports is not part of this lineup. The NBA’s deal with that network doesn’t seem likely to be extended beyond next year, as those games mostly go to Amazon. But the situation can still go into overtime. TNT Sports claims it matched Amazon’s game offer and appears to be challenging whether the NBA can switch partners. The NBA’s statement objects to parent company Warner Bros. Discovery’s offer didn’t match Amazon’s, so they are free to shop elsewhere.
The long-awaited deals for both basketball franchises aren’t a complete slam dunk for fans. On the plus side, the next decade will see a significant shift towards streaming. After sports have been closely tied to broadcast programming, access as part of existing streaming plans is great. But the downside is that multiple Media Partners means you have to double or triple check where you’re watching each game. Major League Baseball, for example, has games spread across ESPN, Fox, Apple TV+, TNT Sports and MLB Network on any given night.
