The NBA’s exclusive negotiating window with ESPN and TNT has expired, giving media rights incumbents ESPN and TNT the opportunity to match any new deal the league may strike with a third party. According to sources familiar with the existing contract terms, this means that if the NBA decides to bring in a third party like Amazon or NBC/Peacock for a streaming package, ESPN or TNT would have the right to match that deal. Similarly, if another company like NBC were to try to take over an existing linear TV deal held by ESPN or TNT, those incumbents would also have the right to match that deal.
Before the negotiating window closed, reports circulated that the NBA and ESPN/TNT were close to reaching a new deal, with both sides being 75% of the way there when the period opened last month. Despite no formal agreement being reached before the window closed, discussions are still ongoing between the NBA, Disney (owner of ESPN), and Warner Bros. Discovery regarding their media deals.
The NBA is looking to potentially alter how it delivers games in new media deals, which could involve partnerships with streaming services or changes to existing TV deals. The league’s media rights are highly coveted, and the outcome of these negotiations could have a significant impact on how fans consume NBA games in the future.