After the NFL sealed historic 11-year media rights deals for more than $100 billion, the NBA is looking to make headlines for similar reasons.
CNBC reported that the league is aiming for a $75 billion multiyear rights package with Turner Sports and ESPN — $51 billion more than its current deals with the networks’ respective parent companies, AT&T-owned WarnerMedia and Disney.
The deals would pay about $8 billion per year over nine years compared to the current $2.6 billion-per-year contracts, which run through the 2024-25 season. The NBA also has a $1.5 billion streaming deal with Tencent.
The $75 billion goal is not out of reach. For each year of its new NFL rights package, Disney alone will pay the league $2.7 billion — more than the NBA receives annually from all its broadcast partners combined.
The asking price stems from specific metrics like viewer hours, which help determine the worth of broadcasting rights. That’s good for the NBA, which has seen increased ratings this season.
The last deal between the NBA, Turner Sports, and ESPN took effect in 2016 for nine years at $24 billion, an 180% increase from the prior 2007 agreement.
“The partnership with the NBA is incredibly important to us, and we’re looking forward to getting back at the table with Adam [Silver] and his team when the time is right,” said ESPN president Jimmy Pitaro.
