TNT’s 36-year partnership with the NBA officially ended on Saturday, as the network’s coverage of the Eastern Conference Finals wrapped up with a six-game Indiana series win over New York.
Broadcast rights negotiations with TNT parent company Warner Bros. Discovery fell apart last year, and ultimately the NBA opted to split its rights between ABC/ESPN, NBC, and Amazon Prime Video. TNT Sports did secure the rights to broadcast games beyond the U.S., including in parts of Latin America and in Nordic countries, writes Richard Deitsch of The Athletic.
Although TNT’s relationship with the league is officially over, its impact will endure, according to The Athletic’s Deitsch and James Jackson.
“If I had written the script, the NBA and TNT would be together forever,” TNT’s ‘Inside The NBA’ mainstay Ernie Johnson said during his last statement while broadcasting an NBA game for the network. ‘Inside The NBA’ broadcasts will move to ESPN/ABC next season. “It’s not going to happen, but while I was disappointed, I was sad, I was not bitter. We know how business works. Gratitude is the operative word for me.”
Deitsch and Jackson caution that the unpredictable, free-flowing nature of ‘Inside The NBA’ broadcasts may be hampered when the program is aired on a new network.
There’s more from around the basketball world:
- With just two teams’ seasons still going, Zach Buckley of Bleacher Report takes stock of what all 30 league clubs must address and correct this summer. Notably, Buckley observes that the Hawks need to determine a direction for their future, as they have struggled lately to balance veteran All-Star Trae Young with their intriguing younger players, while Buckley recommends that the Pistons need to find a true co-star for All-NBA guard Cade Cunningham, suggesting that Jaden Ivey, Tobias Harris and free agent Malik Beasley may just not cut it.
- Although not every team has the funds to sign them, Mo Dakhil of Bleacher Report lists five free agent players who have clearly earned significant raises with their play in 2024/25, including Timberwolves big man Naz Reid (who holds a player option) and Cavaliers guard Ty Jerome.
- The Thunder are gearing up for their first NBA Finals appearance in 13 seasons — chump change compared to the Pacers’ 25-year wait. In an extensive Finals preview, Eric Nehm and Kelly Iko of The Athletic take stock of the teams’ two regular season encounters (which Oklahoma City won 2-0), pick the most critical matchups to watch, identify X-factors, and make their predictions. Meanwhile, Zach Kram and Kevin Pelton of ESPN unpack seven key elements that could determine the outcome of this impending series, which tips off on Thursday.