Posted in: Amazon Studios, Max, NBA, Sports, TNT, TV | Tagged: amazon, Charles Barkley, max, nba, prime video, tnt sports

Charles Barkley Blames League for WBD Losing NBA: "It Just Sucks"

NBA star & TNT's Inside The NBA co-host Charles Barkley is blaming the league for Warner Bros. Discovery not getting a new NBA deal.

If there was one thing that was crystal clear throughout the final months of negotiations between Warner Bros. Discovery and the National Basketball Association (NBA), it's that NBA Legend & TNT's Inside The NBA co-host Charles Barkley wasn't a big fan of how Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) CEO David Zaslav and his leadership team have handled (or mishandled, as Barkley sees it) things. Because Barkley knew that WBD didn't carve out a deal of some kind, then the company would not only say goodbye to the NBA beginning with the 2025-2026 season but also to one of the best coverage shows in all of professional sports – TNT's Inside The NBA with Barkley, Ernie Johnson, Shaquille O'Neal, and Kenny Smith. That brought us to around the middle of June, with Barkley changing the conversation in a big way by announcing after Game 4 of the NBA Finals that he plans on retiring after the 2024-2025 season – whether or not WBD makes a deal. And then this week happened…

Though the company has promised to take "appropriate action," the NBA rejected WBD's matching offer for the Amazon Prime Deal and moved forward with publically announcing the new broadcast right deals with The Walt Disney Company, NBCUniversal, and Amazon Prime Video – beginning with the 2025-2026 season and running through the 2035-36 season (official details below). Now, Barkley has issued a statement on the decision – but he's putting the blame on the deal not happening on the NBA. "Clearly the NBA has wanted to break up with us from the beginning. I'm not sure TNT ever had a chance," Barkley began his statement. He added that he believed the NBA wanted Amazon along as a partner, so the league "didn't want to piss them off." Before thanking the company, the fans, and the league "for the last 24 years," Barkley noted, "It's a sad day when owners and commissioners choose money over the fans. It just sucks."

How Those Disney, NBCUniversal & Amazon Prime Video Deals Shape Up

THE WALT DISNEY COMPANY: Disney (ABC/ESPN) will distribute a total of 80 NBA regular-season games per season, including more than 20 games on ABC (generally on Saturday nights with NBA Saturday Primetime and on Sunday afternoons with NBA Sunday Showcase) and up to 60 games on ESPN (generally on Wednesday nights and, on occasion, Friday nights). ABC/ESPN will continue to telecast all five NBA games on Christmas Day and provide exclusive national coverage of the final day of the regular season.

During the playoffs, ABC/ESPN will telecast approximately 18 games in the first two rounds each year and one of the two Conference Finals series in 10 of the 11 years of the agreement. ABC will remain the exclusive home of the NBA Finals, which it has broadcast since 2003.

All NBA games and events on ABC/ESPN will be available on ESPN's forthcoming direct-to-consumer service. ABC/ESPN will continue to telecast the NBA All-Star Celebrity Game, NBA Draft, NBA Draft Lottery and half of all NBA Summer League games. ABC/ESPN platforms will also continue to distribute a package of WNBA and NBA G League regular-season and postseason games.

Disney will distribute NBA games on ESPN-branded assets in several international markets, including Latin America, sub-Saharan Africa, Oceania and the Netherlands, and via Disney+ in select markets in Asia and Europe.

By the end of this renewal, the NBA's partnership with ABC/ESPN will reach 34 years.

NBCUNIVERSAL: NBCU (NBC/Peacock) will distribute up to 100 NBA regular-season games per season – with more than half of the games airing on NBC (on Sunday and Tuesday nights). NBCU will telecast the league's opening night doubleheader on NBC each year and at least two games on MLK Day on NBC and/or Peacock each season.

Peacock will stream a doubleheader each Monday night of the season. Every Tuesday night, NBC will telecast two games across certain NBC affiliate broadcast stations in different regions of the country. The first game will start at 8 p.m. ET and be available on NBC across affiliate stations in the Eastern and Central time zones. The second game will start at 8 p.m. PT and be available on NBC affiliate stations across the Pacific and Mountain time zones. All Tuesday games will be available on Peacock nationally and certain stations may choose to televise both games.

NBC will become the home of NBA All-Star, including Rising Stars, State Farm All-Star Saturday Night, featuring AT&T Slam Dunk, Starry 3-Point Contest and Kia Skills Challenge, and the All-Star Game. In the playoffs, NBC and/or Peacock will telecast approximately 28 games in the first two rounds of the playoffs, with at least half of those games airing on NBC. NBC will also telecast one of the two Conference Finals series in six of the 11 years on a rotating basis with Amazon, beginning with the 2025-26 season.

As part of the partnership, NBCU will distribute NBA games in several European markets through Sky Sports as well as in the Caribbean and sub-Saharan Africa. Additionally, NBCU will distribute WNBA games and be the home of all USA Basketball Senior Men's and Women's National Team games.

Xfinity will become the Official TV Service of the NBA, WNBA and USA Basketball. The partnership includes collaboration on marketing and storytelling opportunities, virtual signage during game telecasts and activations at marquee NBA, WNBA and USA Basketball events.

AMAZON PRIME VIDEO: Amazon will distribute 66 NBA regular-season games on Prime Video each season, including Thursday night doubleheaders beginning in January, Friday evening doubleheaders, select Saturday afternoon games, at least one game on Black Friday (the day after Thanksgiving), and the Quarterfinals and Semifinals in the Knockout Round of the Emirates NBA Cup. In addition, Prime Video will stream the Championship Game of the Emirates NBA Cup.

Prime Video will also distribute all six SoFi NBA Play-In Tournament games. In the playoffs, Prime Video will stream approximately one-third of the first and second rounds each year. Additionally, Prime Video will stream one of the two Conference Finals series in six of the 11 years on a rotating basis with NBCU, beginning with the 2026-27 NBA season.

Amazon will distribute NBA games globally as part of Prime Video, with an expanded package of games in select territories, including Mexico, Brazil, France, Italy, Spain, Germany, the United Kingdom and Ireland. This expanded package includes a minimum of 20 additional primetime regular season games each year, a Conference Finals series each year, and the NBA Finals in six of the 11 years. Prime Video will also become the NBA's strategic partner and third-party global destination of NBA League Pass – the league's live NBA game subscription service, with expanded distribution rights for NBA League Pass in the U.S. and internationally. Additionally, as part of the agreement, Prime Video will stream half of all NBA Summer League games as well as a package of WNBA and NBA G League regular-season and postseason games.

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