MW Charles Barkley: NBA chose 'money over the fans' by picking Amazon over TNT
By Weston Blasi
The NBA signed a $76 billion TV deal with Disney, NBC and Amazon, leaving TNT without NBA games for the first time since 1988
'It's a sad day when owners and commissioners choose money over the fans. It sucks.'
That was TNT basketball host Charles Barkley's comment about the recent news that the NBA has agreed to a TV rights deal that would leave TNT without any NBA games.
The NBA agreed last week to an 11-year, $76 billion TV deal with Disney $(DIS)$, NBC $(CMCSA)$ and Amazon $(AMZN)$ that will begin in 2025. TNT parent Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD), a current NBA rights holder, said Monday that it had matched the $1.8 billion-a-year offer from Amazon.
The NBA declined Warner's match offer and plans to broadcast games with Amazon instead, which could lead to a legal dispute. Reuters reported that Warner intends to sue the NBA over its matching rights.
"Clearly the NBA has wanted to break up with us from the beginning. I'm not sure TNT ever had a chance," Barkley said in a statement published by Bleacher Report. "TNT matched the money, but the league knows Amazon and these tech companies are the only ones willing to pay for the rights when they double in the future. The NBA didn't want to piss them off."
The NBA and Warner have both commented on the league's new broadcast deal.
"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," a statement from the NBA said.
"We have matched the Amazon offer, as we have a contractual right to do, and do not believe the NBA can reject it," a statement from Warner's TNT said.
See also: Charles Barkley says the best financial advice he ever got was from this NBA star's mom
Losing NBA games will be costly for Warner. The company could forfeit profits of "about $600 million" a year, according to one analyst.
In a separate announcement, Barkley said that he would retire after the 2024-25 NBA season and would not look to change networks. TNT's current deal to broadcast games expires at the end of the 2024-25 season.
Some outlets have reported that Amazon, and potentially others, could look to hire Barkley or other members of TNT's "Inside the NBA" crew when the season ends, but Barkley has said he has no interest in changing networks.
"No matter what happens, next year is going to be my last year on television," Barkley said.
Amazon continues to bolster its live sports programming. It now has some rights to NFL, MLB, NBA, WNBA and NWSL games, as well as to tennis.
Read on: Chicago Sky co-owner on the WNBA's success, Angel Reese and hotel minibars
-Weston Blasi
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July 26, 2024 11:33 ET (15:33 GMT)
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