NBA ends longtime relationship with Atlanta-based TNT, entering into deal with Amazon

July 24th, 2024

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver talks in front of a bright blue background. — FILE - NBA Commissioner Adam Silver talks to reporters before Game 1 of basketball's NBA Finals between the Boston Celtics and the Dallas Mavericks, Thursday, June 6, 2024, in Boston. The NBA has agreed to terms on its new media deal, an 11-year agreement worth $76 billion that assures 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. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa, File)

The NBA is ending its four-decade run of airing games on Atlanta-based TNT.

The league said Wednesday that it is not accepting Warner Bros. Discovery’s $1.8 billion per year offer to continue their longtime relationship, entering instead into a deal with Amazon Prime Video.

That would also suggest the series of media rights deals approved by the league’s Board of Governors last week with Disney, NBC and Amazon Prime Video — 11-year agreements that will be worth about $76 billion — are on the cusp of being finalized, at least from the NBA’s perspective.

WBD had five days to match a part of those deals and said it was exercising its right to do so, but its offer was not considered a true match by the NBA.

“Warner Bros. Discovery’s most recent proposal did not match the terms of Amazon Prime Video’s offer and, therefore, we have entered into a long-term arrangement with Amazon,” the league said Wednesday.

“Throughout these negotiations, our primary objective has been to maximize the reach and accessibility of our games for our fans,” the league added. “Our new arrangement with Amazon supports this goal by complementing the broadcast, cable and streaming packages that are already part of our new Disney and NBCUniversal arrangements. All three partners have also committed substantial resources to promote the league and enhance the fan experience.”