NBA Media Deal 2025+.

[nuraman00]

Negotiations are going on.

NBA Rights Chase Will Reportedly Draw Hefty NBCUniversal Bid, With Amazon Looking To Lock League’s First National Streaming Deal

The NBA's new round of rights negotiations has reportedly lured NBCUniversal back to the league after an absence of more than two decades.

deadline.com

If the NBA loses TNT, while they'd get more money from NBC, it would be a bad move IMO.

No studio show NBC could come up with is likely to be as good as Inside The NBA.

For comparison's sake, I'd be interested to know how NBC's postgame shows did from 2002 and earlier, compared to Inside The NBA from 2002 - 2003 and later.

Hmm, Barkley has an opt-out and it's speculated that the other cohosts have an opt-out too:

Charles Barkley says he can leave TNT if it loses its NBA rights

Appearing on ESPN Cleveland, Charles Barkley said he has a contract opt-out and can leave TNT if it loses its rights to the NBA.

awfulannouncing.com

I guess that could work.

However, I still prefer keeping things as they are, for a few reasons:

1). Even if the hosts moved to a new network, there would still be some change. And I have a feeling that whatever the changes are, would be for the worse. Just a feeling that things usually get worse than they get better.

2). NBC's intro theme song is better than TNT's, but TNT's is fine. It's a bit inconspicuous, but that's ok.

3). NBC would probably limit some of the spontaneity of the show. TNT lets the crew openly talk about other sports, other networks, etc. NBC is likely not to allow that.

4). NBC still have to make way for the news, unless they are going to put games on a NBC cable channel most days and NBC the network channel on Saturdays (presumably the slowest news day).

NBC will probably not have as flexible of a time format as TNT. I am not sure that the TNT show after Kobe Bryant's death would have been so open, and not as conscious of time, if it would have been on NBC.


I just don't think NBC would allow the same spontaneity that TNT does.

There's probably a trademark on things like "Gone Fishin'".

I can't imagine NBC would let the crew make fun of Galveston, Texas; the women of San Antonio; or other gags.

It just doesn't seem on brand for them.



This article suspects that O'Neal, Smith, and Barkley, would not combined join another network.

It would not be a package deal that the three of them would all join another network.

The rumor is also that Ernie Johnson Jr. would stay with TNT, because of his dad's ties to TBS.

If Warner Brothers Discovery loses broadcast rights to the NBA, the greatest studio program in the history of sports may cease to exist

“Inside the NBA” is the lone current studio program for any sport that qualifies as high-level, satisfying entertainment in its own right, Chad Finn writes.

www.boston.com

You're not going to get a show like this again on another network. Another network would be more conscious of time and advertisers. On TNT, they will let them go for 14 - 17 minutes without a commercial, if they have really gotten into something.

It's not going to have the same spontaneity and chemistry.

 

[nuraman00]

Thinking about it some more, I don't think the NBA cares if Inside The NBA gets good ratings. They don't make money off of that. TNT does. They own the content.

The NBA makes money off of broadcasting games.

So to them, all they care about is who will pay them the most to show games.

On the other hand, I think there is some symbiotic benefit to having a highly successful postgame show, even if the NBA doesn't own the content. I'd like to think that the same advertisers that will pay to be on Inside The NBA, because the content is so good and entertaining, would also pay during the game broadcasts themselves. Or vice versa.

Because in theory, the viewers of games are the same as the postgame show, and vice versa.


I also think the math on streaming services is overlooking one thing. Yes Amazon Prime has 200 million subscribers. But I'd say less than 50% of them are sports fans. Same for Peacock, Apple TV, or whatever.

Whereas with TNT and ESPN, all subscribers are sports fans. So you know the audience will watch.

Whereas with streaming services, some people may watch sometimes, but they're not as dedicated or consistent.


I don't know who is to blame more if a deal with Warner doesn't get done. The NBA, for simply going to the highest bidder, and not caring about keeping the good product they already have? And keeping the social media presence?

Or Warner, for not matching the bid?

To me, Inside The NBA has become such a fixture, that I have to go through every episode on the DVR to make sure I see the race to the board; the guarantee button; and EJ's Neat O Stat Of The Night. Shaqtin A Fool is almost there, but I can skip it sometimes.

TBS MLB show is similar, but to a lesser extent. I will go to the end of the postgame show, to see who Pedro's Daddy is.

 

[MHSL82]

I think everyone wants to get the show to the most popular crew in timing and entertainment so long as they’re not put in a bad leverage point to negotiate money. It won’t take less if they don’t see it benefit elsewhere, but even then, they might not take less anyway.

So I think the NBA benefits from TNT’s pregame show being successful. There are a lot of things indirectly that could encourage fans to pay money, choose to follow the NBA instead of the NHL or something, etc. I think it’s in everyone’s interest for the pregame show to be successful and they will try to catch lighting in the bottle if something is viral popular.

 

[eaglesnut]

They should auction off each game to whomever they want in the bidding.

 

[nuraman00]

Barkley says morale at TNT is down, since a lot of employees are likely to lose their jobs.

He's also considering signing the 4 hosts to his own production company, then shopping the show to bidders.

Charles Barkley floats idea of taking 'Inside the NBA' independent

Charles Barkley mulls taking the "Inside the NBA" crew independent with his production company — Fine Line Productions.

awfulannouncing.com

There might be some hope yet, that we don't lose Inside The NBA.

He's also mad that TNT would sign a deal for college football, something they've never had before, but not pay to keep the NBA.