The National Basketball Association, or NBA, has ended a multi-decade partnership with Warner Brothers regarding media rights of the league.1 The NBA has opted to instead partner with Amazon Prime Video, while continuing to operate with NBC and Disney.2 In a statement, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver claimed, “The digital opportunities with Amazon align perfectly with the global interest in the NBA, and Prime Video’s massive subscriber base will dramatically expand our ability to reach our fans in new and innovative ways.”3 This new arrangement is a dramatic change for the NBA, leaving a longtime partner in an attempt to reach a broader audience.
Under the NBA’s new deal, in which the league will take in almost $76 billion in 11 years, games will be split between three companies.4 Prime Video will carry games on Fridays, certain Saturday afternoons, some Thursday nights, as well as taking over the NBA League Pass. Additionally, Prime Video will cover the quarterfinals, semifinals, and finals of the NBA’s in-season tournament.5 Jay Marine, head of sports for Prime Video, said of the arrangement, “Over the past few years, we have worked hard to bring the very best of sports to Prime Video and to continue to innovate on the viewing experience. We’re thrilled to now add the NBA to our growing sports lineup, including the NFL, UEFA Champions League, NASCAR, NHL, WNBA, NWSL, Wimbledon, and more. We are grateful to partner with the NBA, and can’t wait to tip off in 2025.” 6
Alternatively, ESPN and ABC, which was not a member of the league’s new deal but still a partner, will combine to show about a hundred regular season games, with ABC continuing to carry the finals.7 NBC, for its part, will show about a hundred regular-season games, in addition to the All-Star Game and All-Star Weekend.8
Under this new arrangement, the NBA will end a nearly forty-year partnership with Warner Brothers, despite the company’s $1.8 billion per year offer to continue showing games.9 The disagreement has spilled over into court, with Warner Brothers citing a contract clause that allows them to match any other offer, which their $1.8 billion deal has.10 But the NBA has argued that the massive benefits of Amazon’s digital influence render the offer still unequal. In response, Warner Brothers has sued the NBA on the grounds that their offer was equal, and this is a breach of contract.11
Right now, who will control the NBA’s media rights is still unclear. But it’s quite possible that as the NBA itself changes–with the aging of the old guard such as Lebron James, Stephen Curry, Kawhi Leonard, and Kevin Durant, and the rise of new young stars like Jayson Tatum, Anthony Edwards, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and Jaylen Brown–who controls its massive broadcasts may also change.