ESPN, TNT Considering NBA Media Rights Deals With Fewer Annual Games

[RealGM Wiretap]

ESPN and TNT are considering signing media rights deals with the NBA that will include smaller packages of games per season, sources tell the Wall Street Journal.

The arrangement would allow the league's two main long-term partners to continue at a more affordable annual amount while allowing the NBA to create a package for a streaming service. Amazon and Apple have already expressed interest in bidding on a package with the NBA.

“They’re benefitting from the fact that there are new entrants who look to want to play,” said Jonathan Miller, former NBA executive and chief executive of Integrated Media, which specializes in digital media investments.

The NBA is hoping to triple its last agreement, which would result in deals collectively worth about $78 billion over a decade. 

In the most recent season, NBA games on TNT, ESPN and ABC averaged 1.6 million viewers. The playoffs attracted more than five million viewers, according to Nielsen data.

Via Amol Sharma, Isabella Simonetti/Wall Street Journal

[NBA4Lyfe]

lol the nba currently is a broken league and a poor investment lol. the players run the show and they half ass it in the all-star game and regular season games lol. good luck to whoever bids on this joke of a league

[TimeisIllmatic]

lol the nba currently is a broken league and a poor investment lol. the players run the show and they half ass it in the all-star game and regular season games lol. good luck to whoever bids on this joke of a league

That's why they are scrambling to push the NBA internationally even more. The next 5-10 years will be something to keep an eye on.

[NBA4Lyfe]

lol the nba currently is a broken league and a poor investment lol. the players run the show and they half ass it in the all-star game and regular season games lol. good luck to whoever bids on this joke of a league

That's why they are scrambling to push the NBA internationally even more. The next 5-10 years will be something to keep an eye on.

and that may also backfire because we know a large percentage of the nba fanbase is very urban for the most part and generally identify with american born players. We are currently starting to see a lot of europeans and international players dominate the game and with the likes of lebron, curry, kawhi all leaving the league in the very near future. What happens when the nba turns into the current day mlb where technically you do have black players but ones that are not american born and may not speak english( we are seeing how that is hurting the mlb with ohtani.. great player but unfornately not very marketable in america even in a big market like los angeles)

[WC NBA Fan]

lol the nba currently is a broken league and a poor investment lol. the players run the show and they half ass it in the all-star game and regular season games lol. good luck to whoever bids on this joke of a league

That's why they are scrambling to push the NBA internationally even more. The next 5-10 years will be something to keep an eye on.

and that may also backfire because we know a large percentage of the nba fanbase is very urban for the most part and generally identify with american born players. We are currently starting to see a lot of europeans and international players dominate the game and with the likes of lebron, curry, kawhi all leaving the league in the very near future. What happens when the nba turns into the current day mlb where technically you do have black players but ones that are not american born and may not speak english( we are seeing how that is hurting the mlb with ohtani.. great player but unfornately not very marketable in america even in a big market like los angeles)

Tough. The fans need to be able to adjust. If the best players in the world are no longer American then the NBA, as the best league in the world, needs to put the international players on the stage

[cheese318]

lol the nba currently is a broken league and a poor investment lol. the players run the show and they half ass it in the all-star game and regular season games lol. good luck to whoever bids on this joke of a league

NFL Pro Bowl is a complete joke for years. Does that make the NFL a joke to you as well? Actually go ask MJ about his investment in Charlotte Hornets over the last 20 years and he’d laugh as you because he made a killing on that sale. To kill NBA because of the all star game would mean you can’t like the NFL because of the joke that was the pro bowl

[NBA4Lyfe]

lol the nba currently is a broken league and a poor investment lol. the players run the show and they half ass it in the all-star game and regular season games lol. good luck to whoever bids on this joke of a league

NFL Pro Bowl is a complete joke for years. Does that make the NFL a joke to you as well? Actually go ask MJ about his investment in Charlotte Hornets over the last 20 years and he’d laugh as you because he made a killing on that sale. To kill NBA because of the all star game would mean you can’t like the NFL because of the joke that was the pro bowl

the nfl is talking about getting rid of the pro-bowl and the nfl is a profitable league unlike the nba. The biggest secret that no is bringing up is that the reason that nba teams are currently overvalued is because of steve ballmer overpriced purchase of the clippers. That artifically inflated the value for the rest of the teams lol. NBA Owners are currently best breaking even owning a team. And COVID really put a dent in the nba's finances, the league had to take out a loan during the bubble because of nba teams bleeding money lol. Oh and good luck seeing anywhere close to what the nba got in their last tv contract deal. load management ftw

[Lalouie]

amazon and apple sound like an excuse to me

what they're saying is espn and tnt don't want to pay for the uncertainies created by load management
...and if apple and amazon stream games for pay?,,,,,,FORGET IT

i don't think there's a stateside market for the nba thru amzn/aapl

this is a world-wide play

lastly there's going to be a prob lining up quality entertaining play-by-play

[YourGM99]

lol the nba currently is a broken league and a poor investment lol. the players run the show and they half ass it in the all-star game and regular season games lol. good luck to whoever bids on this joke of a league

NFL Pro Bowl is a complete joke for years. Does that make the NFL a joke to you as well? Actually go ask MJ about his investment in Charlotte Hornets over the last 20 years and he’d laugh as you because he made a killing on that sale. To kill NBA because of the all star game would mean you can’t like the NFL because of the joke that was the pro bowl

the nfl is talking about getting rid of the pro-bowl and the nfl is a profitable league unlike the nba. The biggest secret that no is bringing up is that the reason that nba teams are currently overvalued is because of steve ballmer overpriced purchase of the clippers. That artifically inflated the value for the rest of the teams lol. NBA Owners are currently best breaking even owning a team. And COVID really put a dent in the nba's finances, the league had to take out a loan during the bubble because of nba teams bleeding money lol. Oh and good luck seeing anywhere close to what the nba got in their last tv contract deal. load management ftw

You have no idea what you’re talking about. The NBA just had record revenues, surpassing $10B. Which teams are not profitable? The loan was to help teams with loss revenue during COVID but right after that they saw the record $10B in revenue.

[tigerae]

lol the nba currently is a broken league and a poor investment lol. the players run the show and they half ass it in the all-star game and regular season games lol. good luck to whoever bids on this joke of a league

NFL Pro Bowl is a complete joke for years. Does that make the NFL a joke to you as well? Actually go ask MJ about his investment in Charlotte Hornets over the last 20 years and he’d laugh as you because he made a killing on that sale. To kill NBA because of the all star game would mean you can’t like the NFL because of the joke that was the pro bowl

the nfl is talking about getting rid of the pro-bowl and the nfl is a profitable league unlike the nba. The biggest secret that no is bringing up is that the reason that nba teams are currently overvalued is because of steve ballmer overpriced purchase of the clippers. That artifically inflated the value for the rest of the teams lol. NBA Owners are currently best breaking even owning a team. And COVID really put a dent in the nba's finances, the league had to take out a loan during the bubble because of nba teams bleeding money lol. Oh and good luck seeing anywhere close to what the nba got in their last tv contract deal. load management ftw

The NBA had 10 billion in revenue in the 2021-2022 season after two years of losses from the pandemic. In 2019, revenues stood at 8.8 billion and dropped all the way to 6.2 billion in 2021. It almost doubled that in 2022 with 10 billion, which is also an all time record in revenue. Sponsorship revenue has also gone up year over year. When they release the 2022-2023 revenue numbers it will likely be more than 10 billion.

Keep in mind Amazon and Apple have deep pockets. TNT and ESPN will likely pay the same if not more money to take on less games because they will be bidding against Amazon and Apple.

[Ccwatercraft]

NFL Pro Bowl is a complete joke for years. Does that make the NFL a joke to you as well? Actually go ask MJ about his investment in Charlotte Hornets over the last 20 years and he’d laugh as you because he made a killing on that sale. To kill NBA because of the all star game would mean you can’t like the NFL because of the joke that was the pro bowl

the nfl is talking about getting rid of the pro-bowl and the nfl is a profitable league unlike the nba. The biggest secret that no is bringing up is that the reason that nba teams are currently overvalued is because of steve ballmer overpriced purchase of the clippers. That artifically inflated the value for the rest of the teams lol. NBA Owners are currently best breaking even owning a team. And COVID really put a dent in the nba's finances, the league had to take out a loan during the bubble because of nba teams bleeding money lol. Oh and good luck seeing anywhere close to what the nba got in their last tv contract deal. load management ftw

The NBA had 10 billion in revenue in the 2021-2022 season after two years of losses from the pandemic. In 2019, revenues stood at 8.8 billion and dropped all the way to 6.2 billion in 2021. It almost doubled that in 2022 with 10 billion, which is also an all time record in revenue. Sponsorship revenue has also gone up year over year. When they release the 2022-2023 revenue numbers it will likely be more than 10 billion.

Keep in mind Amazon and Apple have deep pockets. TNT and ESPN will likely pay the same if not more money to take on less games because they will be bidding against Amazon and Apple.

This seems most likely. 4 bidders drives up the value. I'm fine if prime gets a package, and won't missnthe occasional apple game.

Numbers will continue to rise, and they are a bit shameless with their sponsors right now, it's a lot.

[Lalouie]

the nfl is talking about getting rid of the pro-bowl and the nfl is a profitable league unlike the nba. The biggest secret that no is bringing up is that the reason that nba teams are currently overvalued is because of steve ballmer overpriced purchase of the clippers. That artifically inflated the value for the rest of the teams lol. NBA Owners are currently best breaking even owning a team. And COVID really put a dent in the nba's finances, the league had to take out a loan during the bubble because of nba teams bleeding money lol. Oh and good luck seeing anywhere close to what the nba got in their last tv contract deal. load management ftw

The NBA had 10 billion in revenue in the 2021-2022 season after two years of losses from the pandemic. In 2019, revenues stood at 8.8 billion and dropped all the way to 6.2 billion in 2021. It almost doubled that in 2022 with 10 billion, which is also an all time record in revenue. Sponsorship revenue has also gone up year over year. When they release the 2022-2023 revenue numbers it will likely be more than 10 billion.

Keep in mind Amazon and Apple have deep pockets. TNT and ESPN will likely pay the same if not more money to take on less games because they will be bidding against Amazon and Apple.

This seems most likely. 4 bidders drives up the value. I'm fine if prime gets a package, and won't missnthe occasional apple game.

Numbers will continue to rise, and they are a bit shameless with their sponsors right now, it's a lot.

mmm. doesn't sound like it to me.

sounds like tnt/espn are balking at the price so appl/amz are stepping in to assume cost. all the streamers are getting into live sports and tnt/espn is tired of the load management no-shows.

we knew the load management was going to be a sticky issue so the two giants are stepping in. so yes maybe they drive up the price but i doubt it - at best they drive up the cost between themselves. tnt/espn seems to have created the window willingly

[Chuck Everett]

Have to see if Apple or Amazon are willing to meet the NBA's asking price. It's not a foregone conclusion. The NBA is looking for "more" money. My opinion is if they can get a similar deal to the one that is expiring they should get down on their knees and thank their higher power.

[tigerae]

Have to see if Apple or Amazon are willing to meet the NBA's asking price. It's not a foregone conclusion. The NBA is looking for "more" money. My opinion is if they can get a similar deal to the one that is expiring they should get down on their knees and thank their higher power.

I doubt they would even entertain that as an option. TNT and ESPN may offer the same amount for less games, but that would then allow one of the streaming services to come in to pick up the other games left on the table. There was also rumors that NBC was interested in getting the NBA back. Netflix, YouTube and other streaming services may also put in bids.

"The continued shrinking of the TV universe (broadcast and cable) meant NBA games saw its best share of the U.S. audience on record, and up 11% from last season. NBA games across ABC, TNT and ESPN also saw viewers watch for 43 minutes on average this season, the longest time spent viewing yet. NBA games on RSNs this season saw share rise 17%.

The NBA’s Instagram account generated over 13 billion video views this regular season, the most of any account on the platform. The NBA is now No. 8 among all brands on the platform in terms of followers. On YouTube, the league’s official channel this season became the first pro sports league account to surpass 20 million subs."

https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Daily/Closing-Bell/2023/04/11/nba-viewership-social-media.aspx

Lastly, Inside The NBA is one of the best TV series ever, including winning 2 more emmys each of the last 3 years. No way TNT gives that show up by not renewing their NBA deal.

[Ccwatercraft]

The NBA had 10 billion in revenue in the 2021-2022 season after two years of losses from the pandemic. In 2019, revenues stood at 8.8 billion and dropped all the way to 6.2 billion in 2021. It almost doubled that in 2022 with 10 billion, which is also an all time record in revenue. Sponsorship revenue has also gone up year over year. When they release the 2022-2023 revenue numbers it will likely be more than 10 billion.

Keep in mind Amazon and Apple have deep pockets. TNT and ESPN will likely pay the same if not more money to take on less games because they will be bidding against Amazon and Apple.

This seems most likely. 4 bidders drives up the value. I'm fine if prime gets a package, and won't missnthe occasional apple game.

Numbers will continue to rise, and they are a bit shameless with their sponsors right now, it's a lot.

mmm. doesn't sound like it to me.

sounds like tnt/espn are balking at the price so appl/amz are stepping in to assume cost. all the streamers are getting into live sports and tnt/espn is tired of the load management no-shows.

we knew the load management was going to be a sticky issue so the two giants are stepping in. so yes maybe they drive up the price but i doubt it - at best they drive up the cost between themselves. tnt/espn seems to have created the window willingly

We shall see.

Tbh, I'd be fine if espn didn't have games, I don't like their coverage.

[spree2kawhi]

The money involved there is ridiculous.

[MartinToVaught]

This just shows how much divas like KD, Harden, Kyrie, Simmons, Dame, etc. have hurt the league's image, and as a consequence, its value. "Player empowerment" is destroying the sport.

It's not actually a good thing that the league's biggest draw right now is Woj and Shams' tweets in the summer that everyone can read for free, not the actual games that ESPN and TNT are bidding on.

[pilkoids]

That's why they are scrambling to push the NBA internationally even more. The next 5-10 years will be something to keep an eye on.

and that may also backfire because we know a large percentage of the nba fanbase is very urban for the most part and generally identify with american born players. We are currently starting to see a lot of europeans and international players dominate the game and with the likes of lebron, curry, kawhi all leaving the league in the very near future. What happens when the nba turns into the current day mlb where technically you do have black players but ones that are not american born and may not speak english( we are seeing how that is hurting the mlb with ohtani.. great player but unfornately not very marketable in america even in a big market like los angeles)

Tough. The fans need to be able to adjust. If the best players in the world are no longer American then the NBA, as the best league in the world, needs to put the international players on the stage

A south-american team won't even need American fan support.

[tigerae]

This just shows how much divas like KD, Harden, Kyrie, Simmons, Dame, etc. have hurt the league's image, and as a consequence, its value. "Player empowerment" is destroying the sport.

It's not actually a good thing that the league's biggest draw right now is Woj and Shams' tweets in the summer that everyone can read for free, not the actual games that ESPN and TNT are bidding on.

Attacks on load management and player empowerment really feels like personal opinions rather than actual facts. The numbers are completely opposite. Making 10 billion last year in revenue is the highest ever including pre-covid and almost double the previous year. Sponsorship revenue has gone up every year. TV viewership shares are higher than ever even with more and more people cord cutting. The list goes on and on.

While they may not get triple the current deal as the NBA expects, I can definitely see them getting at least double. The last deal was signed back in 2014. It's no longer just TV stations bidding and the NBA reaches a far bigger global market now compared to then. It makes sense for streaming services to try to get the contract as it would be able to provide games globally. Basketball is way more popular than American Football around the world. That alone will drive the price up.

[TimeisIllmatic]

and that may also backfire because we know a large percentage of the nba fanbase is very urban for the most part and generally identify with american born players. We are currently starting to see a lot of europeans and international players dominate the game and with the likes of lebron, curry, kawhi all leaving the league in the very near future. What happens when the nba turns into the current day mlb where technically you do have black players but ones that are not american born and may not speak english( we are seeing how that is hurting the mlb with ohtani.. great player but unfornately not very marketable in america even in a big market like los angeles)

Tough. The fans need to be able to adjust. If the best players in the world are no longer American then the NBA, as the best league in the world, needs to put the international players on the stage

A south-american team won't even need American fan support.

Haha, see what you did there.