Jason DeCrow/AP
The NBA on Wednesday announced it has reached a long-term agreement with Amazon for media rights, confirming that TNT is officially out of the next contract.
Two weeks ago, it was revealed that the league had finalized media rights deals with Amazon, ESPN, and NBC. That notably left out TNT, whose Emmy Award-winning show Inside the NBA has been a staple of the sport for more than two decades. Charles Barkley, one of the stars of the show, has publicly criticized his bosses at TNT and Warner Bros. Discovery for their handling of the negotiations – even referencing the time WBD CEO David Zaslav claimed his company didn’t view the NBA as an essential part of its portfolio.
Barkley and Zaslav have mentioned in the past that the company had matching rights. On Monday, TNT Sports published a statement claiming it would exercise its right to match and target Amazon’s offer of $1.8 billion a year for the next 11 years.
TNT Sports’ statement on NBA media rights: pic.twitter.com/PteJJKJO5x
— TNT Sports U.S. PR (@TNTSportsUS) July 22, 2024
According to the league, however, TNT did not match Amazon’s terms, clearly the way for the NBA and Amazon to solidify the agreement.
“Throughout these negotiations, our primary objective has been to maximize the reach and accessibility of our games to our fans,” the league said in a statement. “Our new arrangement with Amazon supports this goal by complementing the broadcast, cable and streaming packages that are already part of our new Disney and NBCUniversal arrangements. All three partners have also committed substantial resources to promote the league and enhance the fan experience.”
NBA announces that Warner Bros. Discovery did not match the terms of Amazon Prime and are agreeing to a longterm arrangement with Amazon. pic.twitter.com/5bYI2i1vFd
— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) July 24, 2024
TNT may threaten legal action. A report from The Athletic noted that from TNT’s perspective, simply offering to match Amazon’s deal would be enough to retain rights for the next deal.
The new deal will go into effect during the 2025-26 season. Barkley already announced his decision to retire from broadcasting when the 2024-25 season ends.
BREAKING: After 25 years, Charles Barkley says he’s going to retire from TV after next season.
“No matter what happens, next year is going to be my last year on television.”pic.twitter.com/HzP4MfKH7G
— Front Office Sports (@FOS) June 15, 2024
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