NBA picks Amazon over Warner Bros. Discovery for long-term TV deal

The National Basketball Association announced a new long-term TV contract with Amazon, spurning a last-minute effort by Warner Bros. Discovery to retain its decades-old broadcast rights. Sign up for Ad Age newsletters From influencer marketing to agencies, get the latest news and analysis delivered to your inbox Click here Together, agreements signed with Walt Disney Co.’s ESPN and Comcast Corp.’s NBC are expected to generate $76 billion in fees for the league over their 11-year life, with Amazon paying about $1.8 billion annually. Also read: Warner Bros. Discovery upfront takeaways “Throughout these negotiations, our primary objective has been to maximize the reach and accessibility of our games for our fans,” the league said in a statement. “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.” Warner Bros., parent of the TNT cable network and Max streaming service, said on July 22 that it was planning to match Amazon’s offer, taking advantage of a clause in its current contract with the league that allows it to respond to competing bids. “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 league said. The NBA’s refusal sets up a potential legal battle with the media giant that has been its broadcast partner since Ronald Reagan was president. Comcast said on earnings call Tuesday its package includes the rights to 100 games during the regular season, more than the other two media partners. Half of those games and some post-season ones will run exclusively on the company’s Peacock streaming service. —Bloomberg News Subscribe to Ad Age Sign up now for the latest industry news and analysis Click here

NBA picks Amazon over Warner Bros. Discovery for long-term TV deal

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