Exciting news is swirling around the NBA’s media rights as the league is on the cusp of sealing the deal with Disney, NBC, and Amazon. With sources indicating that we are now in the final stages of these intense negotiations, all eyes are on the imminent formalization of these agreements, which might push incumbent Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) towards legal action.
Here’s the scoop: ESPN is expected to shell out a staggering $2.8 billion annually for the coveted “A” package, though some whispers put it at a slightly lower $2.6 billion. This package is a goldmine, including the NBA Finals, a conference final, weekly primetime games, the WNBA, and shared international rights. On NBC’s plate is the “B” package, anticipated to be valued between $2.5 billion and $2.6 billion per year. This package is likely to feature a primetime “Basketball Night in America” or “Sunday Night Basketball,” two weekly primetime windows, conference semifinals, and a conference final. Not to be left out, Amazon is believed to be inking a deal worth between $1.8 billion and $2 billion. This deal is expected to include exciting new ventures like the Emirates In-Season Tournament, the SoFi Play-In Tournament, first-round playoff games, the WNBA, and international rights.
Final details are rapidly evolving and are expected to be finalized within days. Once everything is set, the networks will present the contracts to their leadership teams for approval. The league plans to take NBC’s contract to WBD to see if CEO David Zaslav can match its “total value.” However, given WBD’s significant debt of $40 billion and lack of over-the-air infrastructure, it’s unlikely they can make a competitive offer without overpaying.
Industry insiders reveal that this negotiation debacle stemmed from earlier discussions. During Disney and WBD’s exclusive negotiation window, Disney ensured the “A” package didn’t enter the open market, effectively doubling its old rights fee from $1.4 billion to $2.8 billion. Conversely, WBD’s offer for the “B” package (believing they’d pay between $1.8 billion and $2.1 billion) was not as robust, paving the way for NBC to jump in.
What are your thoughts on these mega media deals? Will Zaslav make a daring move, or will WBD step back and let the new players take center stage? Share your insights and join the conversation below!
Interested in reading the original source? Check out the full article from Sport Business Journal [here](https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Articles/2024/05/22/nba-formalizing-media-rights-deals-disney-amazon-nbc).
