TNT receives approximately per month from cable and satellite customers, a considerable portion of which is tied to the NBA .
If TNT decides not to match NBC’s offer but retains the power to prevent Amazon from obtaining the rights, it would send a warning to the NBA . The league has been desiring a partnership with a major tech company as traditional cable and satellite subscriptions have decreased over the last ten years.
During the most recent deal, TNT and ESPN each paid different amounts, with TNT paying .2 billion on average and ESPN paying .4 billion.
In this particular case, TNT would also forfeit the NBA All-Star Game to NBC.
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In late 2022, Zaslav sparked controversy within the league by stating that TNT did not “require” the NBA .
According to The Wall Street Journal’s report on Thursday, distributors may still challenge TNT’s decision to maintain its fee if they acquire the package that Amazon is currently competing for. This deal would have a lower inventory than their current agreement with the NBA .
“We have had ample time to ready ourselves for these negotiations and have established strategies in case of different potential outcomes. Yet, it is not yet appropriate to delve into these matters. As we are actively engaged in talks with the league and bound by our existing arrangement with the NBA , we possess matching rights which permit us to match any offers made by external parties before the NBA finalizes an agreement with them.”
The term “matching rights” mentioned by Zaslav refers to a standard provision in sports television contracts that gives current partners the option to retain their agreements and prevent them from being taken over by other entities.
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The two remaining rights owners would take turns hosting the conference finals each year.
According to sources, Amazon has put in a bid of approximately .8 billion annually for new rights.
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By adding three partners, the NBA could potentially generate around billion every year in rights fees, significantly increasing the current average from its existing agreement.
But the CEO of WBD, David Zaslav, discussed on the earnings call on Thursday morning, and it appeared that he gave the sports media industry a reason to pause.
The beloved ‘Inside the NBA ’ studio show on TNT showcases the talents of Ernie Johnson, Shaquille O’Neal, Charles Barkley, and Kenny Smith.NBAE/Getty Images
He refused to continue talking about the subject with analysts during the phone conference.
The NBA ’s current television agreement with TNT and ABC/ESPN, owned by Warner Bros. Discovery and Disney respectively, will end after the next season. There is much speculation that TNT could potentially be replaced by NBC and Amazon in the upcoming negotiations.
The post TNT’s possible recourse to prevent Amazon from obtaining NBA broadcasting rights. appeared first on Americano Sports .
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