The NBA has agreed to terms on its new media deals, a record 11-year agreement worth $76 billion that would assure player salaries will continue rising for the foreseeable future and one that will surely change how some viewers access the game for years to come.
A person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press that the networks have the terms sheets, with the next step being for the league's board of governors to approve the contracts.
The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity Wednesday because they weren’t at liberty to discuss such impending matters.
There is a board of governors meeting in Las Vegas next week, coinciding with NBA Summer League, and it would seem logical that the deals — if they get through various committees and obtain other approvals — may be finalized around that time.
The NBA did not comment Wednesday.
The deal, which set NBA records for both its length and total value, goes into effect for the 2025-26 season. Games will continue being aired on ESPN and ABC, and now some will be going to NBC and Amazon Prime. TNT Sports, which has been part of the league’s broadcasting family since the 1980s, could be on its way out, but has five days to match one of the deals.
The five-day clock would begin once the league sends the finished contracts to TNT.
The Athletic was the first to report on the contracts.
ESPN and ABC will continue to have the league's top package, which includes the NBA Finals and one of the conference finals series. ABC has aired the NBA Finals since 2003. ABC would continue to air games on Saturday nights and Sunday afternoons when the NFL's regular season ends.
ESPN’s main nights would continue to be Wednesday with some Friday and Sunday games.
Exclusivity of the Finals comes with a big price increase. Walt Disney Company, which owns ESPN and ABC, will pay $2.6 billion per year under the new contract compared to $1.4 billion in its current deal.
The return of NBC, which carried NBA games from 1990 through 2002, gives the league two broadcast network partners for the first time.
