TNT Sports announced Monday that it will apply a matching clause in its current rights contract with the National Basketball Association (NBA) to retain some of its broadcast rights after the current deal ends after the 2024-2025 season.
TNT announced the move. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), the company said the move would “ensure fans can continue to enjoy unparalleled coverage, including the industry's best live game production and iconic studio shows and talent.”
TNT is home to “Inside the NBA,” widely regarded as one of the best studio shows in sports.
USA TODAY reported earlier this month that the association was considering 11-year deals with Disney (ABC/ESPN), NBC and Amazon worth a combined total of about $76 billion.
The NBA did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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Turner reportedly matches part of an Amazon package
TNT is looking to acquire Amazon's “C” package, valued at an estimated $1.8 billion, which would include biennial conference finals, weekly rights, WNBA rights and early playoff coverage, according to a report from Front Office Sports confirmed by USA Today.
Turner did not say in its statement which contracts it plans to match, and the company declined to comment further.
The Amazon deal includes a “poison pill” clause that would put the value of the first three years of the deal — about $5.85 billion — into escrow, according to the Sports Business Journal. The Journal reported that TNT Sports' parent company, WBD, would be able to foot the bill.
