In a shocking crossover move, the NBA announced it’s saying goodbye to Warner Bros. Discovery and TNT Sports, opting instead for Amazon’s slam-dunk 11-year broadcast deal. That’s right, folks, the NBA is jumping ship faster than a point guard on a fast break, leaving TNT to scramble for the ball.
The league’s decades-long relationship with TNT came under heavy scrutiny as juicy offers started rolling in from NBC, ESPN, and Amazon Prime. Despite TNT’s attempt to match Amazon’s offer—citing their contractual right to do so—the NBA decided to go with Amazon’s bigger, shinier, Prime-ier deal. Ouch, TNT. Better luck next season.
“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 NBA declared, probably while doing a victory lap. “Our new arrangement with Amazon supports our goal of maximizing reach and accessibility for our fans.” Translation: We’re cashing in, baby!
So, what does this new Amazon deal look like? Prime Video will now stream 66 regular season games each season, with double-headers on Thursday and Friday nights, select Saturday afternoon games, and even a special Black Friday game. They’ll also cover the quarter-finals, semi-finals, and championship game of the NBA Cup, along with six NBA Play-In games, and two Conference finals every other year starting in the 2026-27 season. That’s a lot of basketball, folks.
But wait, TNT isn’t going down without a fight. They’ve announced plans to take “appropriate action” against the NBA. “We have matched the Amazon offer,” TNT Sports wrote in a statement, “and do not believe the NBA can reject it… We think they have grossly misinterpreted our contractual rights, and we will take appropriate action.” Translation: Our lawyers are warming up on the sidelines.