THE chances of TNT Sports securing a fourth package of NBA television rights are considered minuscule.
The news comes shortly after Inside the NBA star Charles Barkley shockingly announced that he would retire from television next year.
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In early June, reports stated that WBD was in talks with the NBA about purchasing a fourth, smaller package of games after the league reached tentative deals with ESPN, NBC and Amazon.
But the idea is “as dead as possible” DiscoSports media insider John Ourand reported Thursday.
“Executives at Amazon, Disney and NBC have heard nothing about a fourth package, all but confirming the idea,” Ourand wrote.
“The current offerings are all based on three packages, and all three companies would have to fight if the NBA decided to add a fourth, regardless of where those games came from.”
Ourand said a fourth package would likely cause ESPN, NBC and Amazon to try to renegotiate their contracts at a lower price, claiming it would “dilute” the overall value of the deal.
These were supposedly for 11 years, generating an incredible US$76 billion for the league.
It’s highly unlikely that either network will back out, reporter Puck added.
The update follows a recent report from The New York Times which claimed that WBD will attempt to use its contractual right to match third party offers.
Contrary to what was previously suggested, the outlet said, the media giant is believed to be targeting Amazon’s tentatively agreed package, not NBC’s.
However, the NBA’s legal team is still trying to work out the correct interpretation of WBD’s corresponding rights, considering the agreement was written in the pre-streaming era.
This is because the league may consider that games available to stream on platforms like Prime Video have a higher value than those broadcast on cable networks like TNT.
The NBA has been open about trying to increase its streaming production.
“It allows for tremendous additional functionality when it comes to game watching, personalization, game customization, multiple feeds, multiple dialects, multiple languages, different camera angles,” commissioner Adam Silver said before the start of the 2024 NBA Finals.
“It really gives the fan a huge additional choice that you don’t have on traditional television.”
What does the new TV deal mean for the NBA?
By US Sun Assistant Sports Editor Damian Burchardt.
The new television rights deal promises to be a big win for NBA players.
The league is expected to more than double revenue from its media partners, pocketing around $6.9 billion per year, which will inevitably lead to a huge salary cap increase in 2025-26.
This will cause the value of players’ contracts to skyrocket.
Projected numbers suggest we could see the first $100 million per year deal being signed soon.
Boston Celtics All-Star Jaylen Brown is currently set to earn the highest single-season salary in NBA history, bringing in $65.1 million in 2028-29.
It seems like basketball fans would be on the losing side of the fight if the NBA and TNT actually split.
Inside the NBA is a unique sports entertainment program, as evidenced by ESPN’s continued failure to create its own version of the show in recent years.
The NBA won’t be the same without Kenny and Ernie trying to make sense of Shaq and Chuck’s endless fights every Tuesday night.
Even if TNT can salvage its three-decade relationship with the NBA, it may not be able to salvage Inside the NBA.
Barkley, one of the show’s stars, recently shocked the media world by saying he would end his TV career after the end of the 2024-25 season.
“You know there’s been a lot of noise on our network the last few months,” he said on NBA TV during the Finals.
“And I just want to say that I’ve talked to all the other networks, but I’m not going anywhere other than TNT.
“But I made the decision myself, no matter what happens, next year will be my last year on television.
Barkley has been a member of the Inside the NBA cast since 2000.
This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
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