The NBA's Board of Governors has given the green light to the league's upcoming media rights agreements with Disney, NBC, and Amazon Prime Video. These deals, valued at approximately $76 billion over 11 years, are now one step closer to being finalized. The next crucial step involves Warner Bros. Discovery potentially matching one of the agreements within a five-day window to extend their longstanding relationship with the NBA.
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver emphasized the importance of these negotiations in meeting the economic goals of the league while also enhancing fan engagement through increased broadcast exposure and streaming connectivity. The new media rights deals, set to commence in the 2025-26 season, aim to make NBA games more accessible to fans globally through various streaming services.
The framework of the agreements includes ESPN and ABC retaining the top package, featuring the NBA Finals and conference finals, while NBC will return as a broadcast partner after nearly two decades. NBC will showcase games on Sunday nights post-NFL season, along with Tuesday broadcasts and a Monday night streaming package on Peacock. Amazon Prime Video will air games on Thursday nights, in addition to Friday and Saturday matchups.
A minor adjustment has been made to the tiebreaker system for the Emirates NBA Cup, removing overtime scoring from point differentials and total points tiebreakers. The league has also made the in-game flopping penalty permanent, with offending players now receiving a non-unsportsmanlike technical foul and the opposing team awarded one free throw.
Looking ahead, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver has indicated that once the collective bargaining agreement and media deals are finalized, the league will explore the possibility of expansion. The NBA will engage in discussions this fall to determine the potential for expansion and the number of teams that could be added to the league.
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