NBC “is ready to pay $2.5 billion a year to wrest NBA TV rights from TNT” (more than DOUBLE the average fee paid by Warner Bros.) as league enters “advanced stages” of new round of deals media rights

Comcast NBCUniversal is preparing a $2.5 billion-a-year bid to wrest NBA television rights from TNT, more than double the fee paid by the latter’s parent company, Warner Bros.

According to the Wall Street JournalWarner is “remaining disciplined in his approach toward a new deal” and has paid an average fee of $1.2 billion per year under his current contract with the league.

However, the network was unable to reach a new pact with the NBA before an exclusive negotiating window expired last week.

Warner began broadcasting the games in 1984, while Walt Disney’s ESPN sports network began broadcasting the NBA in 2002.

Disney is expected to pay an average annual fee of about $2.6 billion to renew its deal, according to the report, up from about $1.5 billion currently.

Warner’s TNT has the ability to potentially match rival offers, people familiar with their pact told the WSJ.

The package NBCUniversal is preparing to bid on would include playoff and regular-season games broadcast live on the NBC network, along with its Peacock streaming service.

NBC has also considered airing two prime-time games per week, something Warner cannot offer since it does not own a broadcast network.

The NBA’s talks with its partners for a new round of media rights deals, which would be for the 2024-25 season onwards, are believed to be in advanced stages.

Each television partner would broadcast fewer games in a new deal than under current terms, after the league reduced the number of games from this year’s rights negotiations to create a package for a broadcast partner. Amazon’s Prime Video is said to have reached the outlines of a streaming rights deal with the NBA.

League negotiations are fluid, with relevant parties still at odds over who will broadcast the highest-profile games and series.