2:45 PM PT — TNT isn’t going down without a fight … saying it will take appropriate action after the league “grossly misinterpreted our contractual rights” regarding their relationship moving forward.
“We have matched the Amazon offer, as we have a contractual right to do so, and do not believe the NBA can reject it,” the company said in a statement.
The NBA just announced it has reached a media rights agreement with Amazon Prime Video for 2025 and beyond … saying Warner Bros. Discovery’s bid simply wasn’t up to snuff.
The deal means the upcoming 2024-25 season will be the league’s last with TNT … bringing the beloved “Inside the NBA” program to an end.
“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 in a statement.
The Association explained it emphasized maximizing reach and accessibility to fans … and Amazon was a better match to complement its broadcast, cable and streaming packages already in place with Disney and NBCUniversal.
“All three partners have also committed substantial resources to promote the league and enhance the fan experience.”
The league ended its statement by thanking Turner Sports for its coverage since the ’80s … and saying it looks forward to one final hoorah this upcoming season.
It’s going to be a massive change for hoop fans … as Ernie Johnson, Shaquille O’Neal, Charles Barkley and Kenny “The Jet” Smith were an iconic combination that brought countless entertaining moments over the years on the ‘Inside’ desk.
There was still some hope the crew would remain intact back in May — as we reported at the time, NBA commish Adam Silver said talks with both sides were still ongoing.
May 2024
TMZSports.com
The NBA’s whole deal with Disney, Amazon Prime Video and NBC is collectively worth $76 billion over 11 years. Amazon’s contribution is $1.8 billion a year … and despite Warner Bros. Discovery saying it matched that number, the league is saying Amazon’s offer was better.
Originally Published — 2:06 PM PT
