- The NBA has almost finalized an 11-year medial deal with NBC, Amazon, and Disney worth close to $76 billion.
- Disney is going to pay about $2.6 billion a year to keep the NBA Finals, up from their previous price of $1.5 billion.
- This leaves Turner Sports out in the cold after airing NBA games since 1989, leaving “Inside the NBA” without a home.
The NBA has done an impressive job at generating revenue recently. They have deals with NBA betting sites, numerous sponsorship deals, and a massive presence on social media. But nothing comes close to their media-deal contracts.
The NBA’s current media deal is set to expire after the 2024-25 season. It has serviced the league since 1989, averaging $2.67 billion in revenue per season for the NBA. This has led to massive contracts for the players and, of course, lots of money for the owners and teams.
However with this deal coming to a close, the NBA has already seemingly locked up its next contract. According to Yahoo Sports (and first reported by the Wall Street Journal), the NBA is nearing a massive $76 billion deal with NBC, Amazon, and Disney.
However, it could spell the end of the wildly popular “Inside the NBA”. TNT Sports’ studio show has won 19 Sports Emmys, but with Turner Sports on the outside looking in, last season could be its last.
NBC, Amazon, and Disney Team Up to Give the NBA Big Money
This deal is a gigantic boon for the NBA’s coffers. The Yahoo article reveals the league will get around $2.5 billion a year for about 100 games a season from NBC. Around half of those games will be shown on Peacock, the network’s streaming service.
But it could also lead to the return of “Roundball Rock”, John Tesh’s iconic theme song for “The NBA on NBC” from 1990 to 2002.
Amazon is slated to pay about $1.8 billion to air regular-season and playoff games on their streaming service, Amazon Prime. Like many of the streamers, Amazon is looking to get a foothold in the live-sports business.
Disney, which owns ABC and ESPN, is going to pay around $2.6 million to air the NBA Finals. Some of their games are going to air on ESPN’s direct-to-consumer service. This is supposed to start in 2025.
Nothing is approved yet, as documents and contracts still need to be signed. The eventual announcement is also expected to come after the NBA Finals since the league won’t want to take attention away from their championship series.
What Will Happen To “Inside The NBA?”
The biggest question from fans is, “what is going to happen to ‘Inside the NBA’”? Warner Bros., the home of Turner Sports and TNT, has aired NBA games since 1989. Since its beginning, “Inside the NBA” has risen to, arguably, the best studio program on television in any sport.
It has won 19 Sports Emmys, with host Ernie Johnson winning seven times for a studio host, and Charles Barkley has won five times as a studio analyst. Johnson started hosting the show in its second year, back in 1990. Kenny Smith joined Johnson in 1998, while Barkley came on board in 2000.
Many famous names have been with the “Inside the NBA” team over the years, including Magic Johnson, Kevin McHale, Gary Payton and Cheryl Miller. Shaquille O’Neal joined the main team in 2011, and is part of the current core.
But Warner Bros. is out of the picture for this new NBA media-rights deal, and it appears as though this is the final season of “Inside the NBA”. Johnson has already said that he isn’t leaving Turner Sports. Barkley will be highly coveted by all the networks. O’Neal and Smith will be, as well.
But without Johnson on the team, even if Barkley, O’Neal, and Smith stay together, it won’t be the same.
