Is NBA TV Going to Shut Down After the Current NBA Season?
Warner Bros. Discovery has in charge of operating the channel since 2008, but once the two sides split up next year its fate is in doubt.
By all indications, the NBA and Warner Bros. Discovery are headed for a divorce. The Association’s new media rights deals set to take hold in the 2025-26 season don’t include a package for TNT for the first time in decades, and though WBD is trying to sue to claim its right to match an offer for a parcel of games was unfairly disregarded, the writing seems to be on the wall. That brings into question what will happen to both the NBA TV cable channel and the NBA League Pass streaming service, both of which are run jointly by the league and WBD.
Key Details:
- The NBA owns NBA TV outright, but WBD has been tasked with operations at the channel since 2008.
- The league reportedly has not decided how, or if the channel will continue.
- NBA League Pass is unlikely to shut down, but it could undergo some major changes.
According to Puck News, the breakup of the NBA and WBD has left major questions about the future of NBA TV in particular. Although the cable channel is owned by the league, WBD has held operational responsibilities for the channel since 2008.
Distribution of NBA TV has dropped by 42% in the last 10 years, going from 60 million homes to 35 million. In turn, there may not be enough game inventory to keep NBA TV going once the league’s broadcast rights shift; the league’s new partners ESPN, NBC, and Prime Video are paying too much to allow any leakage from their packages.
Indeed, the NBA has “not decided how (or if) the channel will continue,” according to sources who spoke with Puck’s John Ourand. The league may approach one of its new partners about taking over operations of the channel, but that’s just speculation on my part.
I don’t think there is really any chance that NBA League Pass shuts down in the near future, however. There’s a clear need for the out-of-market games service, and though it and the NBA app are parts of the NBA Digital joint venture between the Association and WBD, I think the two sides will figure out a way to keep it going. Perhaps if the NBA settles its lawsuit with WBD, there will be a provision included deciding the fate of NBA League Pass.
There’s almost zero chance that NBA games appear on TNT in the fall of 2025, but what will happen to NBA TV is far more uncertain. The cabler may be another casualty of cord-cutting, as the league looks toward a future that will increasingly see its games appear on streaming services like Prime Video and Peacock.
Amazon Prime Video
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