More than two decades after relinquishing media rights to the NBA, NBC is reportedly planning to make a bid in the next round of negotiations.
The NBA is approaching the end of its current $24 billion media contract with ESPN and TNT, which expires in 2025. NBC is putting together a proposal for a future deal, according to CNBC.
- Since ESPN and TNT have an exclusive negotiating window until April 2024, NBC hasn’t made a formal bid yet.
- However, the league could decide to waive that window — opening up the floor to other networks.
- An NBA spokesperson reiterated to CNBC that the league still has a “relationship” with NBC through deals with regional networks.
The NBA is seeking a collective $50 billion to $75 billion from its next media rights deals, Front Office Sports previously reported.
The Competition
Of course, NBC will have to compete with any bids from ESPN or TNT, but it’s unclear just how interested the latter are in re-upping. David Zaslav, president and chief executive officer of their parent company Warner Bros. Discovery, has said publicly that the NBA isn’t a requisite property for the company and refuses to “overpay.”
Meanwhile, the NBA could be eyeing deals with streamers like Apple, Amazon, or Google.
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