The NBA will stay on ESPN and TNT for 10 more years thanks to a new deal in place worth a reported $2.5 billion per year and will run through the 2024-25 season.
NBA commissioner Adam Silver and ESPN president John Skipper announced the new deal today, which will start at the end of the 2016-17 season and expand the ESPN’s TV, digital, international, data and highlights rights for the future.
ABC will still retain the rights to the NBA Finals, with ESPN and TNT splitting 44 season games and conference finals matchups. ABC will also add 10 more regular season games to their total, with Turner Sports adding 12 of their own. TNT will air Thursday night double-headers as well as kick off the NBA season and retain the rights to All-Star Game action.
“The NBA has never been more popular and it continues to grow under Adam’s leadership. By acquiring significantly more NBA content for both existing and yet-to-be created platforms, we will establish a vibrant, year-round NBA presence for fans. For ESPN, this agreement continues our fruitful, longstanding relationship with the NBA and bolsters what is already the sports industry’s most impressive and impactful collection of media rights.”
Look for more summer league and D-League games on ESPN as part of the deal, more games aired on ESPN International entities, better matchups between popular teams throughout the season and more digital content to roll out.
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