They say deadline was yesterday? Surprised no leaks yet
Barkley jumped the gun on that:
They say deadline was yesterday? Surprised no leaks yet
Clear NBC is willing to outbid WBD or even weaken them further in debt if they have to match the deal for a merger down the line.
I mean I get why Comcast is willing to pay that much for the packcage is not better than the current one from WBD so it makes no sense for them to match the numbers.
Actually they might not have a choice but to match:
NBA is that important to WBD’s bottom line. For Comcast, it’s a want, not a need.
Actually they might not have a choice but to match:
NBA is that important to WBD’s bottom line. For Comcast, it’s a want, not a need.
Is anyone throwing you in jail? No? Then the first amendment is irrelevant. Grow up.It's called the First Amendment. Look it up.
Hahaha you cant be serious.It's called the First Amendment. Look it up.
“ESPN is not a platform for the game, the game is a platform for ESPN. So long as that is the case, one has no choice but to turn back the clock in order to watch the game as it was meant to be shown.”
@jkrdevil I feel this quote by Jon Lewis perfectly describes your overall thoughts on how ESPN covers any sport:
Why does ESPN get to keep its package? They are trash. It doesn't even sound like they are outbidding everyone else.
NEW YORK -- The NBA is formalizing written contracts with Disney, NBC and Amazon this week, with sources calling it the final stage of media rights negotiations that may inevitably lead incumbent Warner Bros. Discovery to take legal action.
Industry sources believe ESPN will ultimately pay $2.8B annually -- up from a reported $2.6B -- for the league's "A" package, which includes the NBA Finals, a conference final, weekly primetime games, the WNBA and likely shared international rights. NBC's proposed "B" package is believed to be now worth $2.6B annually -- up from a reported $2.5B -- and would probably include a "Basketball Night in America" on Sunday nights following the NFL season, a total of two primetime windows a week, conference semifinals and a conference final. Amazon's deal is believed to be worth between $1.8B and $2B and would likely include the Emirates In-Season Tournament, the SoFi Play-In Tournament, first-round playoff games, the WNBA and international rights.
The final tweaks -- which sources said have been fluid and changing almost every other day -- are expected to be finalized in the coming days or week, at which time sources said all three networks will go to their respective boards to have the written bids ratified. At that point, sources said the league will take NBC's contract to WBD to see if WBD CEO David Zaslav is able to match it in "total value."
Considering WBD is $40B in debt and does not have the over-the-air infrastructure of NBC, sources believe WBD would need to pay more than $2.6B to match the deal and that NBC's overall bid could be structured in a way (for example, multiple weekly over-the-air games) that makes it virtually impossible for WBD to equal. Sources said Zaslav would then essentially have three choices: pass on the NBA, drastically overpay for the "B" package or take the NBA to court over the definition of a match.RELATED: Shared NBA package for NBC, TNT not in the cards.
In that event, sources said the league will contend a match is not dollar-for-dollar and that, specifically, a match would need to include the same ad revenue, broadcast windows, etc. -- something WBD apparently disagrees with. Sources said the NBA is prepping its lawyers for a possible inquisition or lawsuit.
It is also becoming clearer how WBD reached this perilous point in negotiations. During Disney's and WBD's exclusive negotiating window from mid-March to April 22, industry sources said Disney was firm about not letting the "A" package go on the open market. So it doubled its old rights fee of $1.4B annually to $2.8B.
But those same sources said Zaslav -- whose company paid $1.2B for NBA media rights a decade ago -- believed he would only have to pay between $1.8B and $2.1B to retain the "B" package this time around and refused to double to $2.4B. That is why the bidding ventured into the marketplace and why NBC leaped in. If WBD does, in fact, lose the NBA, 2024-25 will be its final season under the current deal.
The NFL just keeps making new partners and new dates for games they pretty much got the calendar full to the max and they get over 11/12 billion for this next season if I remember well. With their inventory of games it's easy to go broadcast + streaming and then get ESPN to overpay. For every other league it's harder since they naturally have way more games.NFL must be counting down the days until they can opt out of their tv deals. If the NBA is getting 7.4 billion, NFL must be worth a hell of a lot more.
ESPN is just abysmal at any sport in their coverage probably only good spot is announcers but production overall focus for narratives and the whole talk they have 24/7 is terrible.I'm a less than casual NBA fan, but as with the NHL, Turner does a much better on-air job with the product than ESPN. I'd say the gap is even bigger in the NHL, but still. It'd be sad day for NBA fans to lose that Turner connection.
Disney is still one of the biggest media companies and they haven’t had the turmoil in leadership that Turner/WBD has had in recent yearsWhy does ESPN get to keep its package? They are trash. It doesn't even sound like they are outbidding everyone else.
Their NBA coverage is the worst. MLB and NFL is not great but it’s watchable.The NFL just keeps making new partners and new dates for games they pretty much got the calendar full to the max and they get over 11/12 billion for this next season if I remember well. With their inventory of games it's easy to go broadcast + streaming and then get ESPN to overpay. For every other league it's harder since they naturally have way more games.
ESPN is just abysmal at any sport in their coverage probably only good spot is announcers but production overall focus for narratives and the whole talk they have 24/7 is terrible.