New NBA Media Deal: 11 years, $77B with Disney (ABC/ESPN), Comcast (NBC/Peacock), and Amazon. ESPN to license Inside the NBA

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[K-Apps]

Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav said the company continues "to be in constructive negotiations with the NBA"Slaven Vlasic/Getty Images for The New York Times
David Zaslav, the Warner Bros. Discovery CEO who at times has seemed ambivalent about retaining NBA media rights, effusively praised the league in a public appearance on Monday while doubling down on the value of live sports broadcasts.

Speaking at the Milken Institute Global Conference in Beverly Hills, Zaslav said, "We continue to be in constructive negotiations with the NBA. It's a great league. The TNT team does a terrific job, and we love the NBA."

The comments caught some sources off guard, considering Zaslav had previously told the Wall Street Journal "We don't have to have the NBA," and considering non-league sources said his attitude bordered on indifference early in WBD's exclusive negotiating window with the league this spring. However, those same industry sources said he acted more conciliatory toward the league late in that same spring negotiating window -- and Monday's comments are a likely carryover.

"He's changed his tune because he woke up and said, 'Do I want to be the CEO that loses the NBA after 40 years?"' said a source familiar with negotiations. "Are you going to wake up and be the guy who has to go tell everybody they lost it? Sure, that'll be fine when the first article gets written: 'Oh, he's prudent. Oh, he's smart. Oh, he didn't kowtow to sports.' But then the next article will say, 'What the hell are they going to replace that programming with?'"

Several reports have Disney offering $2.6B annually, Amazon offering $1.8B annually and Comcast's NBCUniversal bidding $2.5B annually to create an NBA broadcast triumvirate close to $72B for the next 10 years. WBD, as an incumbent, is contractually able to match NBC's reported offer, but -- because WBD is $40B in debt and because it is not an over-the-air network with companion RSNs -- it may not have the wherewithal to so.

"There is a huge amount of debt on [WBD], but that's not why they're in this spot," the source said. "It's because I don't think David Zaslav truly thought this through enough. If you want [the NBA], you have to go get it. You can't be, 'Well, if we don't get it we don't get it.' You have to want it.

"Turner should have been the aggressor, in my opinion. What Zaslav's doing now he should have done more in the beginning. Like, 'Hey, I need to stay in this, Adam [Silver]. I know we're long shots here but tell me what I got to do. Tell me what you need.' He had to be a partner. Sports negotiations are very different. They're relationships. They're conversations. They're not just negotiating money. Yes, money is important. But there's a whole process."

At Monday's Milken Conference, though, Zaslav emphasized the reach and sphere of NBA broadcasts. "Sports is a big deal because ... it's a shared experience," Zaslav said. "It's a positive experience. We're all watching the Knicks and the Pacers tonight. We're all watching the Super Bowl together. [Sports] reminds us that we have so much in common than what differentiates us."

 

[Forsaken]

Comcast getting the deal. This dragging on too long.

 

[Rekkapryde]

What happens to NBA TV?

 

[Nero Christ]

Comcast getting the deal. This dragging on too long.

Yea it seems like once Zaslav opened his mouth about not needing the NBA...it was a done deal and I gotta figure Silver doesn't care for the way Chuck & Shaq discuss the game either.

 

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What happens to NBA TV?

Not sure, this article might help explain what might happen. Likely operations move back to Secaucus is my guess:

 

[CHICAGO]

Yea it seems like once Zaslav opened his mouth about not needing the NBA...it was a done deal and I gotta figure Silver doesn't care for the way Chuck & Shaq discuss the game either.

ITS WASNT A DONE DEAL.

THEY HAVE THE OPTION TO MATCH.

THE BALL IS IN WB COURT.

THEY MATCH, THEY GET THE PACKAGE.
ITS THAT SIMPLE.

LMAO @ MENTIONING SHAQ/CHUCK
WHEN THE OTHER STATION HAS PERKINS
ON THEIR MAIN TEAM



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[Cladyclad]

THE NATIONAL TV GAMES
ARE NEVER ON LEAGUE PASS







​

Tnt games are on league pass live. U just have to watch them in a non traditional way. For example u can watch whoever they deem the best player only. U can watch from the backboard angle etc…

 

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[tremonthustler1]

Cut cords brehs

 

[Saysumthinfunnymike]

fakkit ass bald headed bytch gave ESPN a sweetheart deal

 

[Rekkapryde]

bring cable back. All this cord cutting has proven to be a pipe dream to save money





































unless you doin cord cutting that is "underground"

 

[Rekkapryde]

I don't think WBD will match.

But not mad at ESPN using their clout to get their deal done during the exclusive negotation period. WBD should have done the same. Now they are fukked.

Zaslav minus well get his box ready to leave the office cause once they lose the NBA, he's done.

 

[CHICAGO]

I don't think WBD will match.

But not mad at ESPN using their clout to get their deal done during the exclusive negotation period. WBD should have done the same. Now they are fukked.

Zaslav minus well get his box ready to leave the office cause once they lose the NBA, he's done.

ESPN DIDNT GET THEIRS DONE
DURNG THE EXCLUSIVE PERIOD.

YALL nikkaS POSTING NOTHING
BUT MISINFORMATION

THE EXCLUSIVE PERIOD EXPIRING
WAS LITERALLY IN THE THREAD TITLE
AT ONE POINT.





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[Nero Christ]

I don't think WBD will match.

But not mad at ESPN using their clout to get their deal done during the exclusive negotation period. WBD should have done the same. Now they are fukked.

Zaslav minus well get his box ready to leave the office cause once they lose the NBA, he's done.

Zaslav another CEO who understands business but not the TV business.

He's been routinely pissing off creatives and now about to lose TNT's biggest cash cow cause he only understand cold business tactics and not the human element of business relationships that build up a brand.