The NBA has rejected TNT's bid to match the new media rights deal with Amazon Prime in announcing an 11-year agreement with the streaming giant, as well as ESPN/ABC and newcomer NBC.
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It appears the next season of the NBA on TNT will be the last, bringing an end to the popular Inside The NBA studio show featuring Charles Barkley, Kenny Smith, Shaquille O'Neal and host Ernie Johnson. TNT is owned by Warner Bros. Discovery, which reportedly has had at least minor recent financial issues.
"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 in a statement.
"Throughout these negotiations, our primary objective has been to maximize the reach and accessibility of our games for our fans. 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. All three partners have also committed substantial resources to promote the league and enhance the fan experience.
"We are grateful to Turner Sports for its award-winning coverage of the NBA and look forward to another season of the NBA on TNT."
NBA commissioner Adam Silver said the league is very much looking forward to marching forward with its new package — which is expected to make more games available worldwide than ever before. The deal reportedly is in the $75 to $76 billion range over the 11 years.
"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 said in a statement. "These partners will distribute our content across a wide range of platforms and help transform the fan experience over the next decade."
Hoops Wire will have more on this story as the news becomes available.
