NBA announces 11-year rights deal with Disney, NBCUniversal, Amazon

The National Basketball Association is set to shake up its broadcast beginning with the 2025-26 season under a new, 11-year broadcast rights agreement.

Warner Bros. Discovery sues NBA over rights rejection

The deals, set to begin with the 2025-26 season and run through 2035-36, are reportedly worth around $76 billion and involve Walt Disney Company, NBCUniversal and Amazon’s Prime Video.

This new arrangement aims to expand the reach of NBA telecasts across traditional and digital platforms, reflecting basketball fans’ evolving media consumption habits.

Disney retains NBA Finals, expands regular season coverage

Through its ABC and ESPN networks, Walt Disney Company will continue to be the exclusive home of the NBA Finals, maintaining a partnership that began in 2003. Under the new agreement, Disney will distribute 80 regular-season games per season, with over 20 games airing on ABC and up to 60 on ESPN.

NBA on ESPN: Long-term stability with NBA Finals, expanded studio presence

The Disney package includes the continuation of “NBA Saturday Primetime” on ABC and “NBA Sunday Showcase,” typically airing in the afternoon. ESPN will generally broadcast games on Wednesday nights and occasionally on Friday nights.

The deal also ensures that Disney will continue to televise all five NBA Christmas Day games, a tradition that has become a cornerstone of the league’s regular-season schedule.

In the playoffs, ABC/ESPN will telecast approximately 18 games in the first two rounds each year and one of the two Conference Finals series in 10 of the 11 years of the agreement. This arrangement maintains Disney’s strong presence throughout the NBA postseason.

A key aspect of the new deal is the availability of all NBA games and events on ABC/ESPN through ESPN’s forthcoming direct-to-consumer service. This move aligns with the broader trend in media consumption toward streaming platforms and provides fans with more flexible viewing options.

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On July 25, 2025, reports surfaced that WBD would sue the NBA over the loss of broadcast rights.

NBCUniversal returns to NBA broadcasting

After a two-decade absence, NBCUniversal is set to return to NBA broadcasting, rekindling a partnership that was a defining element of the league’s coverage in the 1990s. NBC Sports plans to air up to 100 regular-season games per season across NBC and Peacock, with more than half on the NBC broadcast network.

NBA on NBC: The return of ‘Roundball Rock’ and new primetime broadcast windows

“NBA on NBC” will broadcast games on Sundays and Tuesdays, creating new primetime windows for NBA content.

The network will also telecast the league’s opening night doubleheader each year and at least two games on Martin Luther King Jr. Day. In a unique arrangement, NBC will present regional doubleheaders on Tuesday nights, with games starting at 8 p.m. ET for Eastern and Central time zones, and 8 p.m. PT for Pacific and Mountain time zones.

A large component of the NBCU deal is the return of NBA All-Star Weekend to the network, which previously aired on TNT Sports.

NBC will become the home of NBA All-Star events, including Rising Stars, State Farm All-Star Saturday Night (featuring the Slam Dunk contest, Three-Point Contest, and Skills Challenge), and the All-Star Game.

In the playoffs, NBC and/or Peacock will telecast approximately 28 games in the first two rounds, with at least half of those games airing on NBC. The network will also broadcast one of the two Conference Finals series in six of the 11 years, alternating with Amazon.

Amazon Prime Video enters the NBA arena

Under the new rights deal, Amazon’s Prime Video will become a major player in NBA coverage, further expanding its commitment to sports.

NBA on Amazon Prime: Basketball moves to streaming with new games, in-season tournament

The streaming service will distribute 66 NBA regular-season games each season, including Thursday night doubleheaders beginning in January, Friday evening doubleheaders, and select Saturday afternoon games.

Prime Video’s coverage will include at least one game on Black Friday, as well as the Quarterfinals and Semifinals in the Knockout Round of the NBA Cup. The streaming service will also have exclusive rights to the Championship Game of the NBA Cup, further cementing its position in the league’s expanding in-season tournament structure.

In addition to regular-season games, Prime Video will stream all six NBA Play-In Tournament games. For the playoffs, the service will stream approximately one-third of the first and second rounds each year. Prime Video will also stream one of the two Conference Finals series in six of the 11 years, alternating with NBCU.

Amazon’s deal extends beyond U.S. borders, with rights to distribute NBA games globally as part of Prime Video. Select territories, including Mexico, Brazil, France, Italy, Spain, Germany, the United Kingdom and Ireland, will receive an expanded package of games.

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The end of the ‘NBA on TNT’

The new broadcasting arrangement excludes Warner Bros. Discovery, which airs NBA games on TNT. This omission marks the end of a long-standing partnership that has been a cornerstone of NBA coverage for decades.

Warner Bros. Discovery released a statement expressing disappointment and hinting at potential legal action: “We have matched the Amazon offer, as we have a contractual right to do, and do not believe the NBA can reject it. We think they have grossly misinterpreted our contractual rights with respect to the 2025-26 season and beyond, and we will take appropriate action.”

The company’s exclusion from the new deal raises questions about the future of popular NBA programming like “Inside the NBA” and could potentially lead to legal challenges as the transition approaches.

WNBA coverage expands

The new agreements also significantly boost Women’s National Basketball Association coverage. The WNBA’s media agreements are reportedly worth about $200 million per season, or $2.2 billion for the entire term, representing a substantial increase in the league’s media value.

WNBA announces ‘monumental’ media rights deal

Under the new deals, NBCUniversal will showcase at least 50 WNBA games in the regular season and early postseason each year. NBC will broadcast five of those games, with USA Network and Peacock splitting the remainder. The agreements also include coverage of three WNBA Finals series and games from seven WNBA Semi-Finals series over the 11 years.

Prime Video will exclusively stream 30 WNBA regular-season games each season worldwide, including the Championship Game of the WNBA Commissioner’s Cup. The agreement also gives Prime Video exclusive WNBA postseason games for the first time, including one first-round series each year, plus seven Semifinal series and three WNBA Finals over the course of the 11-year deal.

Looking ahead to 2025

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver emphasized the strategic importance of these agreements: “The digital opportunities with Amazon align perfectly with the global interest in the NBA. And Prime Video’s massive subscriber base will dramatically expand our ability to reach our fans in new and innovative ways.”

These deals also reflect the NBA’s efforts to engage younger audiences and leverage new technologies. The partnership with Disney includes collaborations with Marvel Studios for custom content aimed at younger fans, as well as a dedicated NBA presence at ESPN Wide World of Sports at Walt Disney World Resort.

As the sports media landscape evolves, these new agreements position the NBA to adapt to changing viewer preferences while maintaining a strong presence on traditional broadcast platforms. 

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