TNT Sports issued a statement today confirming that it is making an effort to retain its NBA rights beyond the 2024/25 season by exercising its matching rights (Twitter link). A previous report indicated that Warner Bros. Discovery (TNT’s parent company) intended to match the media rights package that Amazon had negotiated with the league.
“We’re proud of how we have delivered for basketball fans by providing best-in-class coverage throughout our four-decade partnership with the NBA,” TNT’s statement reads. “In an effort to continue our long-standing partnership, during both exclusive and non-exclusive negotiation periods, we acted in good faith to present strong bids that were fair to both parties.
“Regrettably, the league notified us of its intention to accept other offers for the games in our current rights package, leaving us to proceed under the matching rights provision, which is an integral part of our current agreement and the rights we have paid for under it.
“We have reviewed the offers and matched one of them. This will allow fans to keep enjoying our unparalleled coverage, including the best live game productions in the industry and our iconic studio shows and talent, while building on our proven 40-year commitment for many more years.
“Our matching paperwork was submitted to the league today. We look forward to the NBA executing our new contract.”
Despite the confident tone of TNT’s statement, this process won’t be as simple as an NBA team matching an offer sheet on a restricted free agent in order to retain the player.
The league is expected to argue that Warner Bros. Discovery can’t simply match Amazon’s offer due to the differences in the two companies’ distribution methods. Amazon is a streaming giant, whereas TNT is a cable network. While WBD does have a streaming service of its own, that service (Max) reportedly has about half of the subscribers that Amazon Prime Video does.
Amazon’s package of games also isn’t the same as the one TNT is losing. It reportedly includes playoff contests, including one conference final every other year. It also features the in-season tournament (NBA Cup), as well as regular season games on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays. It’s reportedly worth $1.8 billion annually.
There has been speculation that TNT’s decision to match could lead to a lawsuit, a financial settlement for WBD, or possibly a newly negotiated fourth broadcast package.
Amazon is one of the three broadcast partners with whom the NBA negotiated a new media rights deal. The other two are Disney (ESPN/ABC) and NBC. The new deals will begin at the start of the 2025/26 season.
We’re going to find out how much the NBA cares about presenting a quality product to their fans.
The money is equal and TNT is almost universally regarded by fans as the best broadcaster, while Amazon has alienated fans in other sports like baseball with extremely low quality broadcasts.
lol what will y’all do without Kenny Smith, Barkley & Shaq hating on the entire league? It definitely tracks that y’all would love those guys
Go watch more highlight videos on YouTube, boywonder. You hate on this entire forum.
Lol boy wonder? I surely will watch more YouTube vids at some point but rn this USA/Germany game is going extremely hard. I highly recommend you check it out too.
I give you credit for nailing that last sentence tho. This is a basketball forum & y’all are overall pretty terrible at understanding the game. Vast majority of y’all seem like y’all dislike the game & almost all of the guys in the NBA.
Oh you just like pandering to millionare children. That’s why you don’t like TNT
See what I mean lol. This is what y’all sound like.
Sankara insulting the basketball IQ of others… priceless. The only person with worse takes is sillivan, and possibly Davey. Keep telling yourself you know ball, maybe one day you actually will.
Rank the top 5 ways Sankara hates on this forum, if possible.
I love this
The deal is different, however, as mentioned in the article. It’s not an apples to apples comparison vs the language in the TNT deal.
Sure looks like USA & Canada are pretty clearly the 2 best teams heading into this Olympic tournament. Greece, Germany, Serbia, Australia, France, etc basically fighting for that bronze. Id normally have serious reservations about the Canadian team choking at some point in the knockout rounds but I just don’t see any way that Shai & DBrooks let that happen. France might be the most interesting team to watch tho. Will 1 of their guards step up? I can’t imagine that anyone here knows/respects Theo Maledon’s game very much but I think they def coulda used him on this team. Their guard play so far has been subpar to say the least & Tony Parker ain’t walking thru that door. Fournier used to be a scary guy to face but he’s def lost a step. He might be able to have a few vintage moments but I can’t imagine him being consistently great like he was in past FIBA tourneys. Same is true but to an even greater extent with De Colo. The home crowd is def gonna help them at certain times but there’s also the huge pressure that they have to deal with.
Bron is truly making a statement with his performance in these 4th quarters. He has turnt up in the clutch in every single game they’ve played so far
Do we need to do this every year?
You gotta be more specific. What is the ‘this’ in your question in reference to?
The unprompted paragraphs detailing what you’re watching because you have some fantasy that we’re waiting with bated breath on your takes on international basketball
It was a good gm. Bron took over. Germany has some good bigs. They lack guards and playmakers. Still USA doesn’t win as easily as they use to. World is catching up. Like that.
@sankara , we talked recently about Canada, and clearly you know International hoops.
FWIW, and I know you weren’t arguing against the idea, this recognition of Canada’s international standing as the #2 power in the world is what Canadians care about. Canada lives and breathes the NBA and the Raptors, we play AAU and high school ball against Americans, and basketball is a growing part of the Canadian identity. France may also be improving, but we’re improving faster!
How we fare in international tournaments is a matter of which NBA players are available.
All you best should be available. If you want to make a statement.
I don’t think Silver wants TNT at all. Can’t control those guys, not following the narrative.
I think he likes the TNT guys he seems to have conversations with them throughout the season. I don’t see him showing up on ESPN much at all.
It’s awful just as many of us are coming back to the NBA, contracts for games are going out to streaming services. Same with NFL and MLB.
Obviously going to be a fourth package. It works best for everyone
How does it work best for Disney/NBC/Amazon?
No to Amazon, Apple TV, Hulu or whatever streaming service wants sports games. Home team games should be on local tv.
I honestly don’t consume any coverage other than TNT these days outside of the Sixers radio broadcast. I use YT for some dialog, radio, and if I put it on the TV it’s TNT. If I’m on other apps it’s for other content, I’m not watching sports on Prime or Paramount or whatever.
Rather watch it on TNT. But I do think they should have better programming with it. Interviews with current and past players . Watch old gms together, discuss it. Teach some history.
That is what podcast are for? I think they tried the Manningcast junk, which I don’t like because I rather just watch the game than guys talking over it. The companion thing only works with Joe Rogan and MMA and I only watched those the day after the fights.
Don’t know their contract, but this has the feel of TNT looking for a check. I hope TNT keeps games, but no expectation of it yet.
Up in the far North, we only watch games on nba.com. All the games anytime.