The battle for NBA media rights is intensifying as NBC is reportedly preparing a $2.5 billion per year bid to secure the rights, potentially shifting them away from the current holder, Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD). This move could significantly impact WBD, whose stock tumbled following reports of Comcast's interest in replacing WBD as a broadcast partner. NBC's strategy includes leveraging both its network and its streaming service, Peacock, to justify the hefty price tag of the rights. The deal is crucial for NBC as it could reshape its sports broadcasting landscape, especially with the potential return of the iconic 'Roundball Rock' theme by John Tesh if NBC secures the NBA rights. Meanwhile, ESPN is also a major player, having committed $2.6 billion annually for fewer NBA games, indicating a strategic push to maintain its sports broadcasting dominance.
$WBD falling hard amid concerns that the streaming company's rights to the NBA could be in jeopardy What other players could be looking to capitalize on this potential jump ball? @TimSeymour, @KarenFinerman, and @GrassoSteve dive in: https://t.co/nmusoGPAPc
Why did $WBD shares fall 10%? Growing fears NBA headed to NBC. The LightShed Podcast, Ep. 207. With @BrandoLightShed and @WaltLightShed https://t.co/xJe10wDt6T
John Tesh says Fox Sports' Roundball Rock deal for college hoops since 2018 doesn't preclude NBC from (potentially) using it for NBA games too. B-b-b-b-b-basketball https://t.co/kllRcn3C4L
NBC Sports could buy back rights to 'Roundball Rock' if it airs NBA games again, composer John Tesh says https://t.co/SkcU2qBxA1
Warner Bros. Discovery is in trouble after Comcast offers NBA a massive deal https://t.co/jjGPJQYpth
OK Internet, I came through for you. I reached John Tesh. If NBC gets back the NBA, all NBC needs to do is give him and his lawyer a call and hammer out a deal …. and “Roundball Rock” can return. https://t.co/cwHqanMaXT
Bloomberg: Warner Bros. Discovery Inc. shares fell to an all-time low following a report that Comcast Corp. is seeking to replace the company as one of the broadcast partners for the National Basketball Association. https://t.co/S0W2fXfeap
Warner Bros. shares fell to an all-time low following a report that Comcast is seeking to replace the company as one of the broadcast partners for the NBA https://t.co/RbFywV4a3c
Warner Bros. Discovery stock tumbles as NBC reportedly preps bid for NBA rights https://t.co/mw68BaP1bp by @allie_canal
It's impossible to think of the NBA without TNT but a return to NBC could supplant the longtime rights holder. 🔽 https://t.co/yeEN5icvHm
A TV deal between NBC and the NBA could be a win-win. @JMKTVShow explains in this column from the BSM Archives presented by @stonevoiceovers. https://t.co/5Ilqi3lcvP https://t.co/tZh7W0fCJF
The future of TNT's iconic 'Inside the NBA' is in major jeopardy https://t.co/HnLwRolXzK
Roundball Rock needs to be bullet point number one for NBC! It would singlehandedly add 1M viewers per playoff game. But great insight here https://t.co/8bdtsNyf1a
As the NBA reportedly considers rival bids from NBC and TNT Sports, it’s worth looking at how the two broadcasters' corporate strategies have diverged. Money aside, the league is left with a choice that largely comes down to programming vs. platform: WHAT TNT OFFERS: -…
Doubling the price on already expensive major sports rights… the power of being “full-service” becomes more crucial for survival in order to exploit those rights… life & death for WBD? NBC Prepares $2.5-Billion-a-Year Bid to Pluck NBA Rights From TNT https://t.co/RKI27PCGTR
$WBD CEO David Zaslav (Nov 2022): "We'll be very, very disciplined on sports rights. We have enough without doing a new deal with anybody... We don't have to have the NBA... In the end, if there's a deal, it's going to be very attractive for us and very attractive for Adam."
ICYMI: NBC is reportedly making a near $2.5 billion per year bid for part of the NBA media rights package - putting Warner Brothers Discovery (TNT) on the ropes. (H/t @WSJ) 🔗https://t.co/DhASqCLy4u https://t.co/DX8c7ZOZZO
The current NBA TV deal averages about $2.6 billion a year. ESPN plus whichever of WBD or NBC wins bid adds up to about $5 billion alone. Feel like adding in Amazon gets them over $6 billion. This feels like the last big score of the cable bundle era. https://t.co/LBFPksubus
The power of Roundball Rock can be seen in the fact that people are fired up about the potential return of the NBA on NBC, even though nothing from the NBA on NBC would come back except for Roundball Rock (maybe).
Funny to me that the NBA went away from NBC in 2002 bc they didn't have cable. And now in 2024, they're poised to go back to NBC... bc they don't have cable. Interested to see what would happen with NBA TV/digital assets that are currently run by WBD.
I don't know enough about NBA rights here, but I have to think if TNT loses rights, Shaq and Charles would top Buck and Aikman in a bidding war. https://t.co/MeA57pyP43
I can’t believe NBC is going to pay as much or more than they pay for the NFL per year and they’re not even going to get the Finals or possibly even the conference finals? It can’t be that valuable for Peacock. And an NBA regular season game gets about 20-25 percent of a SNF game https://t.co/n1dHFi07Mk
NBA Rights Chase Will Reportedly Draw Hefty NBCUniversal Bid, With Amazon Looking To Lock League’s First National Streaming Deal https://t.co/rynKbmneKX
NBC reportedly planning to outbid WBD for NBA rights https://t.co/IWd6gVkWDv https://t.co/pIA3R88zm0
NBA on NBC = excellent NBA not on Turner = odd https://t.co/YaXe7wU3o3
Wow @espn is paying $2.6 billion a year for fewer NBA games per @WSJ. If true, ESPN’s profit is gone between keeping the NBA & the expanded college football playoff costs. This NBA cost would mean ESPN almost 100% has to sublicense CFB playoff games too. https://t.co/X19Rhwkx9m
The Inside the NBA crew better go somewhere else wholesale if TNT loses NBA.
I only have one prediction about the media-rights deal, but I feel pretty solid about it: The league and NBC will hear everyone’s requests to bring back “Roundball Rock” and unveil an updated version by, like, Imagine Dragons instead of just using the original.
If NBC does get NBA from TNT for its network and Peacock, expect content budgets to take a big haircut. Meanwhile, without NBA, TNT will be under pressure to maintain the $3 per-sub monthly fee network gets. W/@asharma & @thesimonetti https://t.co/wzITyMb7qY
NBC can underwrite an NBA deal with broadcast fees and streaming subscriptions WBD only has fast declining cable TV, which will have much fewer subs a decade from now when the new NBA deal ends This would also effectively kill that new Sports JV as WBD would bring very little https://t.co/beAogAAvVI
Fox, Disney, Warner Will Tap Streaming Sports Venture In TV Upfront https://t.co/rgca9S0PSw https://t.co/kbJeRyEX6q
NBA media rights: What do we know? Do we know things? Let's find out. A look at where things stand one week into 'free agency.' Are Amazon and ESPN done deals? Will WBD hold off NBC? Is Netflix in play? Will the NBA double or triple its rights fees? https://t.co/DfQGfIx3AB
Fox, Disney, Warner Will Tap Streaming Sports Venture in TV Upfront (EXCLUSIVE) https://t.co/Cu5y5eGaz8