According to recent reports by US media outlet The Athletic (TA), the NBA has reached an 11-year, $76 billion broadcasting agreement with three companies—ESPN, NBA TV, and Amazon.
Previous reports suggested that the NBA had entered into a new broadcasting deal with three major corporations—ESPN, NBC, and Amazon. The next step would be for these agreements to go through an approval process, which is expected to be a formality.
The NBA will reportedly inform TNT of the broadcasting deal at the final stage, as the latter holds the right of first refusal. TNT then has five days to consider matching part of the agreement. Previously, TNT indicated its intention to match the portion of the deal involving Amazon in order to retain its broadcasting rights.
If TNT declines to match, it would mark the end of a 40-year partnership between the NBA and TNT.
The NBA is anticipated to officially announce this news before the opening of the Paris Olympics. The new broadcasting agreement will take effect from the 2025-26 season.
This development also implies that the salary cap for NBA teams will soar, leading to a proliferation of billion-dollar contracts in the future. The NBA will officially enter a new era.