Fans and professional basketball gamblers have long leaned upon the NBA coverage pr0vided by TBS, TNT, and the Warner Brothers/Discovery family of networks. For the past forty years, the National Basketball Association has been in contract with Warner Bros. for their television rights, but now another contender is attempting to move in.
NBCUniversal, the same entity that owns Comcast, has placed a $2.5 billion deal on the table for the annual rights to air NBA basketball games on their networks. The NBA has already renewed their other existing deal with Disney, and has created a third broadcast tier that recently sold to Amazon.
The contract currently held by Warner is the only one remaining in play, and 18-friendly NBA betting sites have created a few props in anticipation of the league’s new broadcast partner.
How Much Will The Next NBA Media Deal Cost?
The offer from NBCUniversal is already set at $2.5 billion annually, so the question this NBA prop bet is asking is whether Warner will counter with a higher offer. Right now, entertainment sportsbooks are suggesting that a higher counter offer is forthcoming.
NBA Odds For Media Deal Offer
- Over 2½ Billion USD -300
- Under 2½ Billion USD +200
The current moneyline of -300 suggests a strong liklihood (75%) of a bidding war between the two parties. The prior deal was set at $1.2 billion per year, so the rights fees will at least double for the next contract duration.
Who Will Win The Next NBA Media Deal?
Even though NBCUniversal is the odds on favorite to become the new broacast partner for the NBA, they are not a lock to sign the deal. The odds for both NBC and Warner are very close to even, and the prospect of a third party entering into the negotiations are slim.
NBA Prop Bet For Next Broadcast Partner
- NBC/Universal/Comcast -125
- Warner Brothers/Discovery +125
- Any Other +500
NBC holds a 50 point lead over Warner, which is by no means a significant advantage and most likely refects the simple fact that they possess the winning bid for the moment. Where NBC holds the edge is in corporate value, which is over double that of Warner Bros.
All of these developments come in the wake of the annoucenemtn of a new sports streaming app called Venu. The partners in the said app? Warner Bros. Discovery, Disney, and Fox, so it is no surprise to see them attempt to shore up premium pro basketball content for their launch.
Venu would pair these efforts up with what is already contained by ESPN+ and offer them toghether for under $50 monthly, which is likely corporate speak for $49.99.
