Is TNT losing NBA rights? Latest news and rumors on TV deal with Amazon, NBC, ESPN and ABC

Gilbert McGregor

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Is TNT losing NBA rights? Latest news and rumors on TV deal with Amazon, NBC, ESPN and ABC image

Changes are coming to how basketball fans consume the NBA.

The NBA's broadcast rights deal with ESPN and TNT Sports will end following the 2024-25 season, opening the door for new networks and streaming services to serve as the home for action in the association.

While the end of the current deal is one season away, reports and rumors have surfaced about where the NBA will air over the next decade. Those rumors turned to reality on July 24, when the NBA announced a new rights deal that excludes a major network.

Here's an updated look at what the future of NBA coverage could look like.

MORE: Which athletes are on the cover of NBA 2K25?

Latest news and rumors on NBA's TV rights deal

TBS and Warner Bros. Discovery file lawsuit against NBA

Source: Daniel Wallach, attorney and The Athletic contributor

Date: July 26

TBS and Warner Bros. Discovery filed a lawsuit against the NBA in New York County Supreme Court over the league's rejection of WBD's attempt to match the Amazon media rights bid. 

NBA spokesman Mike Bass responded to the suit, saying “Warner Bros. Discovery’s claims are without merit and our lawyers will address them,” as reported by the Washington Post's Ben Strauss.

NBA announces TV rights deal without TNT

Source: NBA

Date: July 24

The NBA announced an 11-year TV rights deal with Disney, NBC and Amazon that will put NBA games on ABC, NBC and Amazon Prime Video.

The deal notably excludes TNT, which was believed to be trying to match Amazon's offer but ultimately fell short. The deal will keep the NBA Finals on ABC while putting the All-Star Game on NBC and the In-Season Tournament, among other national games, on Amazon Prime Video.

TNT exercises matching rights provision to continue providing NBA coverage

Source: TNT Sports

Date: July 22

TNT Sports shared a statement announcing that it will match one of the NBA's offers with another network. In doing so, TNT is in line to continue as one of the NBA's official networks.

Here is the statement in full:

NBC poised to get NBA All-Star Game rights

Source: Front Office Sports

Date: July 15

NBC is going to be home of the new homes for the NBA in 2025-26, and one of the marquee events of the season is coming to its platform. Michael McCarthy of Front Office Sports reported that NBC is set to receive the NAB All-Star Game rights. TNT and TBS were the previous home of the game, however, the network is not among the companies that will receive new media rights contracts from the league. 

NBA finalizes deal with ESPN, NBC and Amazon but TNT could match

Source: The Athletic

Date: July 10

The NBA has finalized the contracts that will make NBC and Amazon Prime Video the league's newest broadcast partners while ESPN keeps its role as the home of the NBA Finals.

Per the reported agreements, these deals will last for 11 seasons.

While contracts are being finalized, TNT Sports continues to threaten to match the contract. According to language in the current contract, TNT Sports could look to match Amazon's package to remain involved with the NBA.

Adam Silver apologizes to TNT for 'prolonged' negotiations

Source: WEEI

Date: June 6

Commissioner Adam Silver took the opportunity to address the ongoing media rights negotiations ahead of the NBA Finals. He first started off by apologizing to the "Inside the NBA" crew for the prolonged talks. 

"I will say directly from me, directly to your question and the people who seem to be most impacted right now, the folks at Turner Sports, I apologize that this has been a prolonged process," Silver said. "Because I know they’re committed to their jobs. I know people who work in this industry. It’s a large part of their identity and their family’s identity, and no one likes this uncertainty. I think it’s on the league office to bring these negotiations to a head and conclude them as quickly as we can."

NBA on TNT not out of the race just yet

Source: Front Office Sports

Date: June 6

Warner Bros. Discovery is apparently still searching for a fourth broadcast charter, according to a June 6 report from Front Office Sports. TNT could be a formidable option.

The deal would represent a significantly smaller-scale one than what TNT had previously enjoyed. Nevertheless, it could offer Turner Sports consistent regular season action as well as a few playoff games.

In that circumstance, it seems as if Inside the NBA, the award-winning program which stars Charles Barkley, Shaquille O'Neal, Ernie Johnson and Kenny Smith, still could exist as it does.

NBA is nearing an 11-year media revenue deal with NBC, ESPN and Amazon

Source: The Wall Street Journal

Date: June 5

It appears we're getting closer to an official agreement for the next NBA television deal.

"The NBA is nearing an 11-year, $76 billion media revenue deal with ESPN, NBC and Amazon," The Wall Street Journal reported on June 5.

Per the report, ESPN will pay $2.6 billion per year, NBC will pay $2.5 billion per year and Amazon will pay $1.8 billion per year.

'Just tell us something,' Charles Barkley says of TNT's stance on the NBA TV rights deal

Source: Charles Barkley on "Mad Dog Sports Radio"

Date: June 4

Barkley hasn't been shy to speak his mind on where Warner Bros. Discovery stands with the NBA's new TV rights deal. He spoke out again on June 4, stating that the network has kept the "Inside the NBA" cast in the dark.

"That's the one that things really, really bothered me the mot about the TNT experience. Like, hey man, just tell us something," Barkley told "Beadle & Decker" on "Mad Dog Sports Radio."

“Everybody’s got an article coming out every day about ‘we’ve still got a chance’ or ‘we’ve lost it.’ You guys see us every week, how 'bout picking up the phone, saying ‘Hey, we still negotiating’ or ‘you know what, we’ve lost it.’

“Just truth us. Cause the one thing that really sucks, we gotta do this next year no matter what.”

'Inside the NBA' crew hints at final season in 2024-25 after NBA Playoffs sign-off

Source: Inside the NBA

Date: May 30

The Mavericks finishing off the Timberwolves in the Western Conference Finals also ends TNT's "Inside the NBA" studio show for the 2023-24 season since ABC carries the NBA Finals.

As the crew celebrated the end of another season with its "Gone Fishin'" skit, Ernie Johnson emphasized that "Inside the NBA" will be back next year — presumptively clarifying that TNT will have another NBA season regardless of how the 2025-26 TV deal shakes out.

Can't wait for next season, it's gonna be a blast," Johnson said before Barkley quipped, "Did you say blast or last?"

'Inside the NBA' staff has been asked not to speak after Charles Barkley's outburst

Source: Tania Ganguli, The New York Times

Date: May 29

With the future of the NBA on Warner Bros. Discovery hanging in the balance, Shaquille O'Neal grinned and said “We aren’t allowed to talk ever since Chuck’s outburst," when asked for an interview with The New York Times.

Ganguli acknowledged O'Neal may have been joking but added that "a public relations official with TNT said later that the cast had not been asked not to speak."

Barkley provided quotes for the story without clearance from TNT.

Charles Barkley calls out Turner Sports ahead of potentially losing NBA rights

Source: Dan Patrick Show

Date: May 23

Charles Barkley hasn't held back from criticizing his employer for how the entire ordeal has unfolded with the NBA. The "Inside the NBA" analyst blasted Turner Sports on the Dan Patrick Show. 

"Morale sucks. Plain and simple. The people I work with screwed this up so badly."

Don't count TNT completely out

Source: Michael McCarthy, Front Office Sports

Date: May 22

While everything has been pointing towards Turner and TNT losing the rights, don't count them out. Michael McCarthy of Front Office Sports reported that the network could make a last-second buzzer beater to keep the rights for the NBA. 

Charles Barkley says 2024-25 season will be ‘tough lame duck year’ if TNT loses rights

Source: SiriusXM NBA Radio

Date: May 22

Nothing is official still, but with it looking more and more likely that TNT is losing the right to NBA broadcasts, it's time to look ahead as to what might happen next year. TNT has the rights for one more season, but Charles Barkley says if the network loses the rights after that, the 2024-25 season will be "tough lame duck year."

"You know the real thing that sucks?" Barkley said. "We got another year. It will be a really tough lame duck year and the people know they’re going to get fired at the end of the year. I was thinking about hanging it up anyway. I told these guys that I was going to retire soon anyway. But like I said, I just feel bad for the people around me…It just sucks, plain and simple. That’s the only thing I can say."

NBA is formalizing deals with Disney, Amazon, NBC

Source: Tom Friend, Sports Business Journal

Date: May 22

The NBA is in the process of formalizing written contracts with Disney, NBC and Amazon this week, according to Friend.

As these deals are finalized, Friend reports that "the league will take NBC's contract to Warner Bros. Discovery to see if WBD CEO David Zaslav is able to match it in "total value."

If not, the 2024-25 season is expected to be the final year of Turner's NBA coverage.

Creator of "Roundball Rock" theme song suggests NBA on NBC's return

Source: John Tesh, creator of "Roundball Rock"

Date: May 21

Several reports suggested that NBCUniversal is one of the companies that will come to an agreement with the NBA's upcoming television rights deal.

John Tesh, the creator of NBA on NBC's "Roundball Rock" theme song, may have accidentally spoiled the show's return on the "Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz."

"At the end of June, we're heading to Nashville, we've got a full orchestra on hold and we're going to re-record it," Tesh told Le Batard.

Charles Barkley jokes about the potential end of 'Inside the NBA'

Source: Charles Barkley

Date: May 19

As the rumors continue to heat up, Barkley has made it a point to address them with his signature humor.

Following Game 7 of the Western Conference Semifinals, Barkley added fuel to the fire by joking that he'd be on LinkedIn to search for work during the week.

Kenny Smith says 'this might be our last day' on TNT broadcast

Source: Kenny Smith

Date: May 15

The rumors that TNT is losing its licensing with the NBA are growing thanks to a quick one-liner from Kenny Smith on the NBA on TNT broadcast.

As the show began heading to commercial break, Smith and his partners were laughing about the stairlift inputted by the big screen. Smith then added "Oh this might be our last day anyway."

There hasn't been a final decision regarding the NBA's licensing deal for the upcoming season, but this isn't promising for TNT.

Charles Barkley admits 'concern' over TNT's future with NBA

Source: ESPN 1000

Date: May 15

NBA on TNT analyst Charles Barkley went on ESPN 1000, a Chicago-based radio show, to discuss the ongoing NBA rights battle. The former NBA big man admitted he was "concerned" over the future of the show amid all of the reports. 

"We have zero idea what's going to happen, we might lose it," Barkley said. "I feel so bad for the people I work with. It is brutal, it is flat-out brutal. Everybody is scared to death.

"It's very stressful for the people I work with. I wish I could give you an answer. We might lose it. It's 50-50 ... Am I concerned? 100%."

NBCUniversal is 'in driver's seat' with NBA media rights negotiations

Source: Tom Friend, Sports Business Journal

Date: May 9

"Sources continue to insist Comcast's NBCUniversal will capture the third NBA package," Friend wrote in the SBJ article. NBCUniversal's bid is reportedly worth $2.5 billion annually, and would include a "Basketball Night in America" program, similar to its NFL Sunday "Football Night in America."

Friend added that "details are still being massaged with nothing finalized," but "there is little WBD CEO David Zaslav can do to overtake NBC unless he coughs up perhaps as much as $2.8 billion or more."

NBC's package is set to include Sunday night games after the NFL season, "while perhaps taking over ESPN's Friday night slate and TNT's second-round playoff and conference final package."

TNT Sports is left 'fighting' to retain NBA rights; potential deal worth $2.5B

Source: Andrew Marchand, The Athletic

Date: May 8

In 2022, TNT Sports CEO David Zaslav said “We don’t have to have the NBA,” during an RBC investor conference.

Two years later, Marchand reports that Zaslav and TNT Sports would need to pay a figure of around $2.5 billion to retain the network's NBA rights deal "for a lesser package than he currently owns," meaning the network will not cover the breadth that it currently does.

Charles Barkley prepared to walk from TNT Sports if network loses NBA rights

Source: Charles Barkley

Date: May 1

During an interview with 850 ESPN Cleveland, Barkley revealed that he can opt out of his contract with TNT Sports to become a free agent if the network does not remain a home of the NBA.

"I said, ‘If you guys lose the NBA, I want to make sure that I can get out of here.’ So I am actually in a really great position,” Barkley said. “Listen, I love TNT, they’ve been great to me … I wanted to make sure that if we lost the NBA in two years, I could be a free agent.”

MORE: What is 'Roundball Rock?' The story behind NBC's iconic NBA theme song

With NBC looming, TNT Sports' future as the NBA's rights holder is in jeopardy

Source: Andrew Marchand and Richard Deitsch, The Athletic

Date: April 27

The NBA's preference is to have just three rights holders, according to reporting from Marchand and Deitsch. With ESPN/ABC and Amazon Prime nearing agreements, there is likely just one more deal to be done.

With NBC looking to strike a rights deal, there could be a bidding situation between the network and TNT Sports, though there is also an outside chance that the NBA agrees to have four partners.

MORE: Complete list of winners for NBA's end-of-season awards

Amazon Prime 'has framework deal' with NBA for broadcast rights

Source: Andrew Marchand, The Athletic

Date: April 26

Amazon Prime and the NBA have reached a framework of a deal that would make the streaming service "one of the main homes" of NBA games, according to Marchand. Prime Video is expected to air games during the NBA regular season and postseason in a deal that could span a decade. 

ESPN/ABC 'essentially' agree to new media rights package

Source: John Ourand, PUCK

Date: April 25

ESPN and ABC have “essentially come to terms on a package” with the NBA, according to Ourand. The terms of the deal would allow the network to remain the home of the NBA Finals, which have aired on ABC since 2003.

Gilbert McGregor

Gilbert McGregor Photo

Gilbert McGregor first joined The Sporting News in 2018 as a content producer for Global editions of NBA.com. Before covering the game, McGregor played basketball collegiately at Wake Forest, graduating with a Communication degree in 2016. McGregor began covering the NBA during the 2017-18 season and has been on hand for a number of league events.