The NBA is close to securing a major bag

As the Celtics and Mavericks prepare to face off in Game 1 of the NBA Finals tonight, the league is also closing in on another major milestone.

According to a new Wall Street Journal report, the NBA is nearing agreements with Amazon, ESPN, and NBC on exclusive media rights deals that would collectively be worth ~$76 billion between 2025-2036.

• The deals, which include the increasingly valuable rights to WNBA telecasts, would pay the NBA 2.5x more per year than its previous contract – shining a spotlight on the crucial role that live sports holds in the modern TV industry.
• Sports rights have become one of the few reliable ways to draw cable TV audiences in recent years, while also representing an attractive option for streaming services looking to grow subscribers.

💧 Somewhere, Charles Barkley is shedding a tear: As reported by the Journal, the new NBA deal would leave Warner Bros. Discovery, whose Turner Sports network has broadcast the league’s games – along with Inside the NBA – for the past 35 years, on the outside looking in. WBD reportedly has the option to match either Amazon or NBC’s deal, though enforcing those rights would likely require winning a protracted legal battle.