Over the last several weeks, there have been various reports pertaining to the future of the NBA as its television media rights are set to expire after next season. With The Walt Disney Company (ESPN/ABC) and Amazon’s Prime Video reportedly reaching frameworks of agreements, it is believed that one additional package is up for grabs. TNT Sports, whose parent company Warner Bros. Discovery (then-Turner Broadcasting) has been partnered with the NBA since 1984, is said to be involved in negotiations to try and retain its 35-year partnership with the league. Comcast’s NBCUniversal division, which lost its rights to the NBA following the 2002 season, is reportedly interested in reentering the fold and presenting a $2.5 billion annual bid to do so.

The future of the NBA on TNT has become a significant talking point of late, including what would happen to the Emmy award-winning studio show Inside the NBA. Studio analysts and NBA Hall of Fame members Charles Barkley and Shaquille O’Neal were present at Warner Bros. Discovery’s Upfront event in New York City on Wednesday morning, both participating in different on-stage segments. Luis Silberwasser, TNT Sports division chairman and chief executive officer, addressed the situation surrounding the NBA and provided an update.

“We have enjoyed a successful partnership with the NBA for 40 years, and we look forward to another season and reaching an agreement that makes sense for all the parties,” Silberwasser said. “At the end of the day, we’re sports fans, just like all of you, and our focus remains on delivering the best-in-class experiences that you all expect from TNT Sports.”

Warner Bros. Discovery chief executive officer David Zaslav revealed during the company’s recent quarterly earnings call that he was hopeful it would be able to come to terms on a deal for the league. The sentiment contrasts a statement Zaslav had made two years earlier when he stated that the company did not “have to have the NBA.” A resolution has yet to be announced by the league despite Bill Simmons, founder of The Ringer and Spotify podcast host, recently articulating that he believed negotiations were complete and that NBC was reacquiring the league.

While on stage at the Upfront event, Silberwasser explained the value proposition of TNT Sports that spans linear television and digital means of distribution. The forthcoming addition of NASCAR was of particular emphasis, which will begin with Atlanta’s Night Race on June 28, 2025. Races within the new five-race In-Season Tournament will air exclusively on TNT and Max, with the latter also including in-car cameras for the races. Championship-winning driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. is also joining the NASCAR broadcast team in 2025 and will contribute to a Bleacher Report content series during the NASCAR Cup Series schedule for TNT Sports.

“At TNT Sports, we are obsessed with creating the most compelling sports content for our fans,” Silberwasser said. “Our talent and approach to producing sports is what has always differentiated us in the marketplace. Honest, unapologetic and entertaining. We authentically engage with fans on all platforms.”

TNT Sports will also execute a new strategy surrounding golf content, including a reimagined iteration of Capital One’s The Match in the fall. Additionally, the company will reveal a redesigned Bleacher Report app with more live video integrations and an ability to construct fan communities. The digital media outlet has garnered a 70% increase in video views over the last year, equating to more than 46 million views per month.

Moreover, Bleacher Report and House of Highlights together have over 227 million followers on social media platforms. Dallas Cowboys linebacker Micah Parsons recently inked a multi-year extension with Bleacher Report through which he will continue hosting his show, The Edge, and also take part in content strategy as president of B/R Gridiron.

Later in the fall, Warner Bros. Discovery, The Walt Disney Company and FOX Corporation are expected to launch a joint streaming venture that implements properties from across its sports portfolios. The offering, which has yet to be named, recently announced that former Apple executive Pete Distad had been named its chief executive officer. This offering is currently facing an antitrust lawsuit by FuboTV, with the entity claiming that the joint streaming venture would augment prices and harm competition. Within the lawsuit, FuboTV cited a report from Brian Steinberg of Variety explaining that the three companies control 85% of the U.S. sports market.

“It is aimed at serving hard-core sports fans, and it is designed to offer more choices to a segment of viewers that currently aren’t served,” Silberwasser said, “and serving sports fans is what we do best.”

Nielsen Media Research recently revealed in its most recent Gauge report that streaming accounts for 38.4% of total day television viewership among Persons 2+. Cable television attained 29.1% of the total day share, while broadcast television was responsible for 22.2% in this regard. The Walt Disney Company finished first in monthly television viewing with an 11.5% total while Warner Bros. Discovery and FOX Corporation ranked fifth and seventh, respectively.

Ahead of its 100th season in the National Football League, consumers will get a behind-the-scenes look at the New York Giants on the offseason edition of Hard Knocks, as announced by Warner Bros. Discovery at its Upfront event on Wednesday in New York City. The five-part original series, produced in tandem with NFL Films and Skydance Sports and narrated by Liev Schreiber, will debut on Tuesday, July 2 at 9 p.m. EST on HBO and available to stream on Max. Camera crews will capture the team behind the scenes as general manager Joe Schoen and members of the team’s front office and staff prepare for the upcoming season through the offseason period that takes place from January to July 2024.

“We are incredibly proud that Hard Knocks is widely thought of as one of the most successful and entertaining unscripted sports franchises ever produced,” Ross Ketover, senior executive at NFL Films, said in a statement. “To be able to expand on the Hard Knocks universe, and with an elite franchise in the Giants while they celebrate their 100th season, is a privilege for all of us at NFL Films.”

“We are beyond thrilled that the New York Giants have opened their doors to the Hard Knocks cameras for the first time ever,” Nancy Abraham and Lisa Heller, executive vice presidents of HBO documentaries; and Bently Weiner, vice president of HBO sports documentaries, said in a statement. “The NFL offseason is a fascinating period that we’ve always wanted to explore and we can’t wait to show football fans everywhere what NFL Films has been capturing behind the scenes at the team’s headquarters.”

The training camp edition of Hard Knocks featuring the New York Jets attained success on Max with a median age of 39, which Casey Bloys, chairman and chief executive officer of HBO and Max Content, revealed was one of the youngest, most male-skewing series on the platform. Following the Jets, the critically acclaimed series showcased the Miami Dolphins as the team attempted to make a run to the Super Bowl. The Hard Knocks series is the recipient of 18 Sports Emmy Awards since its debut in 2001 when it featured the then-defending Super Bowl champion Baltimore Ravens.

“As we enter our 100th season, we look forward to providing our fans with the opportunity to see what it takes to build an NFL roster,” Nilay Shah, senior vice president, marketing and brand strategy for the New York Giants, said in a statement. “Beginning the moment the previous season ended, we gave NFL Films unprecedented access to this critical time of the year. We know viewers will gain insight from moments that have never been captured before and are excited for them to learn more about our Giants history.”

Over the last several seasons, the NFL has expanded its reach across various media platforms through broadcast deals with linear and digital outlets. Ahead of the official release of the 2024 NFL schedule on Wednesday night, Netflix signed a three-season deal to gain exclusive rights to stream at least one NFL Christmas Day game each year. Coming to terms on a deal marks the first time the company has license rights to present live football, which will commence with two games on Christmas Day this year. Nielsen Media Research data calculated the NFL as representing 93 out of the top 100 most-watched television broadcasts in 2024.

“We couldn’t be more excited to be the first professional sports league to partner with Netflix to bring live games to fans around the world,” Hans Schroeder, NFL executive vice president of media distribution, said in a statement. “The NFL on Christmas has become a tradition and to partner with Netflix, a service whose biggest day of the year is typically this holiday, is the perfect combination to grow this event globally for NFL fans.”

Netflix, which recently announced that it had approximately 269.6 million paid subscribers in Q1 2024, is reportedly paying less than $150 million per game. CBS Sports televised the early afternoon matchup on the holiday last year between the Kansas City Chiefs and Las Vegas Raiders, which averaged 29.2 million viewers. This represented the most-watched Christmas Day game in 34 years and was up 29% year-over-year from the comparable game that took place the year prior.

The prime-time matchup between the Baltimore Ravens and San Francisco 49ers averaged 27.1 million on ABC and ESPN+, marking the second most-watched Monday Night Football game in 27 years. Both games superseded the average Christmas Day viewership across the five-game NBA schedule that day, which averaged 2.85 million viewers across ESPN and ABC.

Over the last several years, Netflix has forayed into sports-related programming through docuseries, competitions and other related events. The company recently held The Roast of Tom Brady, which featured various former teammates and personnel making jokes about the former NFL quarterback and seven-time Super Bowl champion. Brady was introduced as the analyst within the lead broadcast booth for FOX Sports at the company’s Upfront event in New York City earlier in the week.

Moreover, Netflix plans to broadcast a boxing matchup between Mike Tyson and Jake Paul taking place in July from AT&T Stadium in Dallas, Texas. Additionally, the company was involved in production of the sports docuseries Quarterback that premiered last July and will soon release Receiver, the sequel to the venture. Netflix itself will hold an Upfront event on Wednesday night in New York City where it is expected to reveal its forthcoming programming slate.

“Last year, we decided to take a big bet on live — tapping into massive fandoms across comedy, reality TV, sports and more,” Bela Bajaria, Netflix chief content officer, said in a statement. “There are no live annual events, sports or otherwise, that compare with the audiences NFL football attracts. We’re so excited that the NFL’s Christmas Day games will be only on Netflix.”

The NFL will feature several games exclusive to streaming outlets, including a Friday night Week 1 matchup between the Green Bay Packers and Philadelphia Eagles from São Paulo, Brazil on NBCUniversal’s Peacock outlet. Amazon Prime Video will embark on its third year of presenting Thursday Night Football games coming off a year in which the property averaged 11.86 million viewers across its 13-game schedule. The company presented the first Black Friday football game broadcast last fall and is reportedly expected to stream a matchup during the NFL Wild Card round during the NFL Playoffs.

As a whole, the NFL regular-season schedule of games averaged 17.9 million viewers per game across all networks, the best result in the category since 2015 and up 7% compared to the previous year. The year ended with a record-setting Super Bowl broadcast from Paramount Global that averaged 123.7 million viewers, measured by Nielsen Media Research to be the most people watching the same broadcast in television history.