Walt Disney, NBCUniversal, and Amazon Secure $77 Billion NBA Broadcasting Deal, Ending Long-Standing Warner Partnership

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Walt Disney (DIS.N), NBCUniversal (CMCSA.O), and Amazon.com (AMZN.O) have successfully secured an impressive 11-year broadcasting deal with the National Basketball Association (NBA), valued at $77 billion. This landmark agreement, announced by the NBA on Wednesday, marks a significant shift in the league’s media partnerships and concludes a 40-year relationship with Warner Bros Discovery’s (WBD.O) TNT Sports.

The NBA’s decision to partner with Disney, NBCUniversal, and Amazon over Warner Bros Discovery came after the latter’s last-minute bid fell short compared to Amazon’s proposal. TNT Sports expressed dissatisfaction with the decision, alleging that the NBA had misinterpreted their contractual rights for the 2025-26 season and beyond. “We think they have grossly misinterpreted our contractual rights with respect to the 2025-26 season and beyond, and we will take appropriate action,” TNT Sports stated in response to the announcement.

Winning broadcasting rights for such major sports leagues requires a substantial financial commitment, including the costs associated with production. This deal will significantly increase the visibility of NBA games, with approximately 75 regular-season games slated to be broadcast on TV each season, up from the 15 games under the current agreement.

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver praised the new agreements, highlighting their potential to enhance fan experience. “Our new global media agreements with Disney, NBCUniversal, and Amazon will maximize the reach and accessibility of NBA games for fans in the United States and around the world,” Silver remarked. “These partners will distribute our content across a wide range of platforms and help transform the fan experience over the next decade.”

The deal is a setback for Warner’s sports division, contributing to investor concerns about its role in the evolving sports streaming landscape, particularly in partnership with Disney and Fox (FOXA.O). Emarketer analyst Ross Benes noted that while a lawsuit from Warner Bros Discovery is a possibility, it carries significant risks, potentially straining relationships with the NBA and deterring other leagues from partnering with Warner.

Warner CEO David Zaslav had expressed optimism in May about reaching an agreement to retain NBA coverage on Max and TNT. The NBA has been a major profit driver for Warner over the past four decades through advertising and its traditional TV and streaming services.

In related news, the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) announced new partnerships with Disney and Amazon, along with a fresh deal with NBCUniversal. These agreements will facilitate the distribution of more than 125 WNBA regular-season and playoff games.

Disney will continue its long-standing relationship with the NBA by broadcasting 80 regular-season games, including 20 on the ABC Network, and maintaining its exclusive coverage of the NBA Finals. NBCUniversal will air 100 regular-season games, with more than half on NBC, and Peacock will stream a doubleheader each Monday night. Starting in the 2025-26 season, NBCUniversal will also broadcast one of the two Conference Finals series on a rotating basis with Amazon.

Amazon Prime Video will feature 66 regular-season NBA games each season, including at least one game on Black Friday. This addition enhances Prime Video’s sports offerings, which already include NFL and NASCAR coverage starting in 2025. “Our streaming base is becoming larger than a lot of cable networks in the U.S.,” said Mike Hopkins, head of Prime Video and Amazon MGM Studios. “We’re bringing a broad audience, and also, when you look at our ‘Thursday Night Football’ ratings, they’re younger.”