On Wednesday, the NBA announced the renewal of its partnership with The Walt Disney Company and new agreements with NBCUniversal (NBCU) and Amazon.
Under these agreements, ABC/ESPN, NBC/Peacock, and Prime Video will telecast NBA games beginning with the 2025-26 season and running through the 2035-36 season.
Between the three networks, NBC, ESPN and Amazon, the league will reportedly make $76 billion over the next 11 years.
With the announcement, the NBA returns to NBC after leaving the network in 2002, and for now, 2024-25 will be the final season of the NBA on TNT.
Warner Bros. Discovery, the parent company of TNT, said they matched Amazon’s offer, but the NBA said that was not the case, which could lead to legal action from Warner Bros. Discovery.
“Warner Bros. Discovery’s most recent proposal did not match the terms of Amazon Prime Video’s offer and, therefore, we have entered into a long-term arrangement with Amazon,” the NBA said in a statement.
“Throughout these negotiations, our primary objective has been to maximize the reach and accessibility of our games for our fans. 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.
“We are grateful to Turner Sports for its award-winning coverage of the NBA and look forward to another season of the NBA on TNT.”
Approximately 75 regular-season games will be on broadcast TV each season, up from the minimum of 15 games under the current agreement.
Disney, NBCU, and Amazon also secured the right to distribute an unprecedented number of WNBA live game telecasts, significantly increasing the reach of WNBA games across broadcast, cable, and streaming.
Here’s how the deal breaks down between the three networks:
THE WALT DISNEY COMPANY
Disney (ABC/ESPN) will distribute 80 NBA regular-season games per season, including more than 20 games on ABC (generally on Saturday nights with NBA Saturday Primetime and on Sunday afternoons with NBA Sunday Showcase) and up to 60 games on ESPN (generally on Wednesday nights and, on occasion, Friday nights). ABC/ESPN will continue to telecast all five NBA games on Christmas Day and provide exclusive national coverage of the final day of the regular season.
During the playoffs, ABC/ESPN will telecast approximately 18 games in the first two rounds each year and one of the two Conference Finals series in 10 of the 11 years of the agreement. ABC will remain the exclusive home of the NBA Finals, which it has broadcast since 2003.
All NBA games and events on ABC/ESPN will be available on ESPN’s forthcoming direct-to-consumer service. ABC/ESPN will continue to telecast the NBA All-Star Celebrity Game, NBA Draft, NBA Draft Lottery, and half of all NBA Summer League games. ABC/ESPN platforms will also continue distributing a package of WNBA and NBA G League regular-season and postseason games.
By the end of this renewal, the NBA’s partnership with ABC/ESPN will reach 34 years.
NBCUNIVERSAL
NBCU (NBC/Peacock) will distribute up to 100 NBA regular-season games per season – with more than half of the games airing on NBC (on Sunday and Tuesday nights). NBCU will telecast the league’s opening night doubleheader on NBC each year and at least two games on MLK Day on NBC and/or Peacock each season.
Peacock will stream a doubleheader each Monday night of the season. Every Tuesday night, NBC will telecast two games across certain NBC affiliate broadcast stations in different regions of the country. The first game will start at 8 p.m. ET and be available on NBC across affiliate stations in the Eastern and Central time zones. The second game will begin at 8 p.m. PT and be available on NBC affiliate stations across the Pacific and Mountain time zones. All Tuesday games will be available on Peacock nationally, and certain stations may choose to televise both games.
NBC will become the home of NBA All-Star Weekend, including Rising Stars, State Farm All-Star Saturday Night, featuring AT&T Slam Dunk, Starry 3-Point Contest and Kia Skills Challenge, and the All-Star Game. In the playoffs, NBC and/or Peacock will telecast approximately 28 games in the first two rounds of the playoffs, with at least half of those games airing on NBC. NBC will also telecast one of the two Conference Finals series in six of the 11 years on a rotating basis with Amazon, beginning with the 2025-26 season.
AMAZON
Amazon will distribute 66 NBA regular-season games on Prime Video each season, including Thursday night doubleheaders beginning in January, Friday evening doubleheaders, select Saturday afternoon games, at least one game on Black Friday (the day after Thanksgiving), and the Quarterfinals and Semifinals in the Knockout Round of the Emirates NBA Cup. In addition, Prime Video will stream the Championship Game of the Emirates NBA Cup.
Prime Video will also distribute all six NBA Play-In Tournament games. In the playoffs, Prime Video will stream approximately one-third of the first and second rounds each year. Additionally, Prime Video will stream one of the two Conference Finals series in six of the 11 years on a rotating basis with NBCU, beginning with the 2026-27 NBA season.
Amazon will distribute NBA games globally as part of Prime Video. This expanded package includes at least 20 additional primetime regular season games each year, a Conference Finals series each year, and the NBA Finals in six of the 11 years.
Prime Video will also become the NBA’s strategic partner and third-party global destination of NBA League Pass – the league’s live NBA game subscription service, with expanded distribution rights for NBA League Pass in the U.S. and internationally.
Additionally, as part of the agreement, Prime Video will stream half of all NBA Summer League games and a package of WNBA and NBA G League regular-season and postseason games.
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