Times are changing in the NBA.
We witnessed a passing of the torch in real-time during the NBA Playoffs, as stars like LeBron James, Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant were all eliminated early. Instead, the next generation of players, like Jayson Tatum, Luka Doncic and Anthony Edwards, led the charge as their teams moved on.
As new faces continue to take over the NBA, the league has agreed to a lucrative new television deal to bring the game to as many viewers as possible. The NBA's current television deal is set to expire after the 2024-25 season, and there were plenty of rumblings as to which networks would be a part of the new deal.
Major brands like Disney (ESPN) and Amazon were rumored to have deals in place with the NBA, and the league reportedly wanted three networks to carry its games. The final decision pulled at fans' heartstrings, teetering between a current partner, Warner Bros. Discovery, and a former partner, NBCUniversal.
Warner Bros. Discovery owns TNT, which meant the fan-favorite studio show "Inside the NBA" with Ernie Johnson, Shaquille O'Neal, Charles Barkley and Kenny Smith would be in jeopardy. A deal with NBCUniversal meant the return of "NBA on NBC," bringing back a piece of nostalgia with the network's signature "Roundball Rock" theme song that was associated with the league from 1990 to 2002.
As the NBA got closer to landing a deal with other networks, Warner Bros. Discovery reportedly jumped back into the picture. Those talks came to an abrupt halt on July 24.
With the league agreeing to a new TV rights deal, The Sporting News breaks down where you'll be able to watch future NBA games below.
MORE: Team USA makes great choice with LeBron James as Olympic flag-bearer
NBA television rights deal
The NBA had finalized an 11-year, $76 billion TV deal with ESPN, NBC and Amazon, but TNT still had an opportunity to match, according to The Athletic's Andrew Marchand.
On July 22, TNT announced that it had "reviewed the offers and matched one of them." That offer is reportedly Amazon's 11-year, $20.9 billion bid, according to Sports Business Journal's Tom Friend.
However, on July 24, the NBA announced its new rights deals without TNT, saying in a statement that TNT did not match Amazon's final offer. That means TNT will be out of the picture after the 2024-25 season, pending a potential lawsuit.
As NBA fans await the league's decision, how will games be distributed between each network? Take a closer look below.
What games will be on ESPN?
ESPN will "slightly cut down" on their number of regular season games, "going from around 100 now to the range of 80," per The Athletic.
ESPN will broadcast games on Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays during the NFL season, then add Friday night action after the NFL season ends.
All three platforms will have playoff games, but ESPN will keep its Conference Finals and NBA Finals coverage after paying a reported $2.6 billion for the rights, according to The Athletic and The Wall Street Journal.
ESPN and ABC have owned the rights to the NBA Finals since it took over for NBA on NBC in 2002.
What games will be on TNT or Amazon?
TNT previously held Tuesday and Thursday night broadcasts with NBA All-Star weekend, NBA Playoffs and Conference Finals coverage. Amazon's proposed package wasn't all that different.
Amazon Prime Video has already tapped into the NFL's schedule with "Thursday Night Football" and a few other games throughout the season. Before Monday's news, Amazon was expected be the home of NBA regular season games, along with some other tentpole events and playoff games.
Amazon is expected to pick up Thursday night primetime NBA coverage after "Thursday Night Football" concludes. It would also stream regular season games on Friday and Saturday nights.
Amazon is also expected to take on the NBA's In-Season Tournament. Additionally, it would have carried playoff games and alternate Conference Finals showings with NBC.
MORE: Could NBA players play in the NFL? Here are 30 we'd like to see try
What games will be on NBC?
NBCUniversal is expected to unveil a "Basketball Night in America" telecast on Sunday nights once football season ends, similar to its "Football Night in America."
NBC will also have primetime games on Tuesdays throughout the entire NBA season, as well as "exclusive telecasts" on its streaming service, Peacock, on Mondays.
NBC will host playoff games and alternate Conference Finals broadcasts with Amazon or TNT.
