TRUMP CARD
Warner Bros. Discovery and Amazon in major broadcasting scramble for NBA live TV rights in hope for Shaq and Co
WBD are said to be targeting Amazon Prime's proposed deal
ALL may not yet be lost for TNT's much-loved Inside The NBA.
The writing has appeared on the wall for the popular TNT show for some time as negotiations ramped up between the NBA and ESPN, NBC, and Amazon Prime on new TV deals.
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These proposed 11-year deals appeared to take a big step towards fruition on June 10 when it was reported that terms between the networks and the NBA had been agreed, as per the Associated Press via ESPN.
The deals are said to be worth an eye-watering $76 billion in total.
With the terms having supposedly been agreed to, it is now down to the NBA's board of governors to give the deals the green light.
As such, should WBD lose its broadcast package after next season, that would mark the end of Inside The NBA and its beloved cast of Shaquille O'Neal, Charles Barkley, Kenny Smith, and Ernie Johnson.
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However, TNT's parent company, Warner Bros. Discovery, may be looking to play their final trump card in an attempt to beat Amazon Prime to the third and final rights package.
TNT has broadcast the NBA since 1989 and has the right to match any new deals that would supplant them.
Unfortunately for the network, WBD seems incapable of matching NBC's "B" deal, reportedly worth as much as $2.5 billion annually, as per Puck.
This is said to be down to NBC's larger presence on network TV.
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This leaves the smallest of the three 11-year deals, potentially worth $1.8 billion with streaming service Amazon Prime.
One advantage WBD theoretically has over Amazon Prime is its ability to broadcast on network TV as well as via its streaming service, Max.
This was described as "the crux of WBD's pitch," but it is seemingly unlikely this will be enough.
"Max has around 100 million worldwide subscribers," Puck explained.
"Prime Video, of course, has double that amount, and it's unlikely that the NBA will make it easy for WBD to use its matching rights."
Regardless of whether or not WBD can fight their way back into the mix for the "C" deal, Inside The NBA will be forced to change either way.
What the new TV deal means for the NBA?
By The U.S. Sun's Assistant Sports Editor Damian Burchardt.
THE new TV rights deal is promising to be a humongous win for NBA players.
The league is set to more than double the revenue coming from its media partners, pocketing about $6.9 billion per year, which will inevitably lead to a huge salary cap spike in 2025-26.
That is going to send the value of player contracts skyrocketing.
Projected figures suggest we might see the first $100 million-per-year deal being signed soon.
Currently, Boston Celtics All-Star Jayson Tatum is projected to earn the highest single-season salary in NBA history, collecting $71.5 million in 2029-30.
It does feel like basketball fans would be on the losing side of the fight if the NBA and TNT indeed parted ways, though.
Inside the NBA is a one-of-a-kind sports entertainment show, as evidenced by ESPN's ongoing failure to come up with its own version of the program in recent years.
The NBA won't be the same without Kenny and Ernie trying to make sense of Shaq and Chuck's never-ending bickering every Tuesday night.
Barkley had long said that should WBD lose out, he had no intentions of moving to another network, regardless of what his colleagues decided to do.
Subsequently, during the NBA Finals, Barkley took the opportunity to announce that he had decided that the 2024 season would be his last on TV.
"You know there's been a lot of noise around our network the last few months, and I just want to say I've talked to all the other networks, but I ain't going nowhere other than TNT," he explained.
"But I have made the decision myself, no matter what happens, next year is going to be my last year on television.
"I just want to say thank you to my NBA family, you guys have been great to me. My heart is full of joy and gratitude, but I'm going to pass the baton at the end of next year.
"I hope the NBA stays with TNT, but for me personally I wanted you guys to hear it from me because I'm not doing any more interviews."
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As for his colleagues, Johnson reportedly intends to remain with TNT regardless.
It is unclear what O'Neal and Smith plan to do beyond next season.
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