NBA's exclusive TV rights talks with Warner, Disney to extend past current window / News - Basketnews.com

The discussions between the NBA, Walt Disney and Warner Bros Discovery for the league's exclusive broadcast rights will most likely be prolonged past April 22, when the current window for negotiations expires.

Credit: AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein Credit AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein

The NBA's exclusive media rights negotiating period with current partners Walt Disney and Warner Bros Discovery is likely to expire without a new deal on Monday, CNBC's Alex Sherman reported.

The NBA will be able to engage with new partners to show packages of games from the start of next week, the report said, citing people familiar with the matter.

Warner began airing the games in 1984, while Disney's ESPN sport network began broadcasting NBA in 2002.

NBA could sell its new in-season tournament package of games to a separate media company than its primary new streaming partner, the report said.

The league is looking for a large increase in fees, and Disney and Warner do not want to carry the full burden of paying significantly more for what they already have, CNBC reported, citing the sources.

Amazon, Apple, YouTube TV, Comcast's NBCUniversal/Peacock and Netflix have all had preliminary talks with the league expressing potential interest, CNBC reported last year.

Warner Bros. Discovery's TBS began airing NBA games in 1984, and TNT has shown NBA games since 1988. Disney’s ESPN and ABC have broadcast the NBA since 2002. The two companies have both publicly expressed a desire to renew their agreement with the NBA and have joined forces with Fox to launch a new streaming service that will debut in the fall of 2024.

The NBA is looking to double the $24 billion it generated from its previous media rights deal with Disney and Warner Bros. Discovery by adding new partners and charging more for rights, CNBC reported last year.

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