By Nick Butler at the Grimaldi Forum in Monte Carlo

New nine year deals have been announced to cover NBA matches ©NBAA new nine-year deal has been announced for television networks ABC, TNT and ESPN to broadcast National Basketball Association (NBA) matches from the 2016-2017 season.


The deal, announced on the eve of the Sportel Conference, which is due to start here tomorrow, is the result of an expansion of the NBA's partnerships with Turner Broadcasting System and The Walt Disney Company, the respective owners of TNT and ESPN/ABC, and is reportedly worth $24 billion (£16 billion/€19 billion).

It will last until 2024-2025 and will follow the expiring of the current deal at the end of next season.

Under the new agreements, ABC and ESPN will broadcast 100 national regular-season games and TNT 64 games, with ESPN showing the bulk of matches on Wednesdays and Fridays, TNT focusing on matches on Thursdays and ABC on Sundays.

This will mean TNT has been showcasing the NBA for 41 years while ABC and ESPN will have done so for 23 years.

The NBA and Turner will also continue to jointly manage the NBA's digital assets including NBA TV, NBA.com and NBA Mobile, while TNT will also debut the first-ever NBA Awards Show, an annual event which will air at the end of the season.

Crucially, ESPN will be granted enhanced digital rights to provide NBA content for multiple ESPN platforms, including ESPN.com and WatchESPN, which means they will show matches for people without pay television subscription with a cable, satellite or telephone company.

NBA champions the San Antonio Spurs will be among those showcased by the new television deal with Turner Broadcasting System and The Walt Disney Company ©Getty ImagesNBA champions the San Antonio Spurs will be among those showcased by the new television deal with Turner Broadcasting System and The Walt Disney Company ©Getty Images



The deal is also a major boost for the Women's National Basketball Association, with games to be televised on ABC, ESPN and ESPN2 for the full nine years, while ESPN also will have enhanced in-progress highlight rights on digital and linear platforms.

"The Walt Disney Company and Turner Broadcasting share responsibility for the growing popularity and interest the NBA enjoys, and we are thrilled to extend our partnerships," said NBA Commissioner Adam Silver.

"With these new agreements, our fans will continue to benefit from the outstanding NBA coverage and programming provided by ABC, ESPN, TNT, NBA TV and their digital platforms."

"These are extraordinarily healthy deals financially."

"I don't think we left any money on the table.

"We're confident that we maximised what our opportunity was in the marketplace."

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