TNT Sports and Amazon Prime Video are locked in a battle for the final share of NBA media rights.
At the last minute before the NBA signed its partners for the next media cycle, TNT Sports exercised its right to match one of the networks’ offers.
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TNT matched Amazon’s offer, estimated at about $1.8 billion, which they say gives them the rights to the media package, but Amazon sources say it’s “not over.”
“It’s difficult, but it’s business. It’s not over, but it was somewhat expected and now we know we’re not in control of the situation,” the source told The US Sun.
“This is something that has scared us, but we know the rules of the game and negotiation and we will see how it goes.
“The dynamics have changed and now we just have to wait and see, but TNT seems to have a lot of support in the league, not only through the current agreement and its clauses, but also in the boardroom and the people who decide on important topics, such as the rights of TV.
“It’s a punch in the face, we’re a little shaken, but we know how it works.”
The source shared that Amazon had innovative ideas in the works to bring to its NBA coverage.
They already brought a lot of new features to NFL coverage when they took over Thursday night football, and they could have done the same for the NBA.
“TNT has been making NBA history for some time now and we have shown every guarantee and some of the most incredible ideas and plans for the next decade-plus to help keep the NBA audience growing and the experience getting better and better.” “, continued the source.
“We’ve been working on this for a while and we have a very, very solid plan and ideas that would definitely change the game.
“But now we’ll just wait and see how the NBA decides who gets this package to get all the deals done.
“It will be very tense days ahead and we feel a lot of pressure as it has been one of the biggest tasks and projects we have been working on lately.”
With such prominent networks pitching in for a slice of NBA coverage, the folks at TNT knew that losing basketball coverage was no longer an option.
A source close to the negotiation at TNT shared that they thought they would look like “idiots” if the NBA rights slipped away.
“We had to match the offer, that was the most important thing to do and the only option for us,” the source told The US Sun.
“We can’t lose the NBA, I mean that would have been a huge blow and we would have looked like idiots in this whole process.
“Nothing was granted and we submitted a matching offer, but the dynamic has changed and there is now confidence on our side. The NBA has shown that it loves TNT, and Adam Silver has spoken well in this regard, but that doesn’t mean it is 100% blocked, as there are still many challenges to face and negotiate.
“It was a very, very tense few weeks and tensions were very high as there was a lot of pressure and some words said publicly by some key guys like Charles Barkley that put even more pressure on us.”
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 Jayson Tatum is currently set to earn the highest single-season salary in NBA history, bringing in $71.5 million in 2029-30.
If TNT Sports successfully fulfills one of its bids to maintain its decades-long partnership with the league, basketball fans will also be on the winning side.
The network’s flagship Inside the NBA is a unique sports entertainment program, as evidenced by ESPN’s continued failure to present its own version of the show in recent years.
The NBA wouldn’t be the same without Kenny and Ernie trying to make sense of Shaq and Chuck’s endless fights every Tuesday night.
As Amazon sources said, it’s not over yet, but those at TNT feel more confident about keeping the NBA now that they’ve matched the offer.
“It’s in the hands of the leagues now, but there’s trust now, and TNT is central, in my opinion, to the NBA, as we are seen as a major factor in its development and viewership growth, as we have done, in my opinion. , a very good job for many years”, continued the source.
“From Inside the NBA, which is a premium product, one of the best TV shows of all time, a show that is a pillar of American TV, to the other things we do, we need to keep the NBA going and keep showing what we have done since we entered the NBA: giving fans the best experience ever.
“TNT has to continue to be a strong part of the NBA and its broadcasting and beyond, even though we know that our package would be less massive and important in terms of games and content than it will be until the end of the current agreement. .
“We have faced reality and are ready to adjust and continue providing fans with a fantastic experience.”
The NBA is reviewing TNT’s offer and could decide by the end of the week, while signs point to ESPN and NBC Sports splitting the rest of the coverage.
Either TNT Sports or Amazon will get the final piece unless a deal is reached to give both companies some NBA coverage.
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This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
