As negotiations surrounding the media rights of the NBA continue, reports have indicated that Comcast’s NBCUniversal and Warner Bros. Discovery are both in the running to land its final package. Turner Sports, whose intellectual property and assets are currently within the Warner Bros. Discovery portfolio, has broadcast NBA games since 1984 and includes the award-winning studio show Inside the NBA. Conversely, NBC has not had media rights to the NBA since 2002 and has reportedly bid $2.5 billion for a package of games. The league closed its 90-day negotiating window with its incumbent rightsholders having reportedly reached the framework of a deal with The Walt Disney Company (ESPN/ABC), but not with Warner Bros. Discovery.

While discussions are ongoing between the NBA and Warner Bros. Discovery, the league is reportedly likely to move on from its longtime partner and take a “probable path” of signing a deal with NBCUniversal, as reported by Alex Sherman of CNBC. Warner Bros. Discovery would then have a contractual option that would allow the company to match an opposing offer. Both the NBA and Warner Bros. Discovery are reportedly researching to see if the league can reject a matching bid. Wording in the deal is vague, however, and the answer remains ambiguous as to whether or not it is contractually permitted.

In the situation where Warner Bros. Discovery was to match and the NBA still ended up choosing NBCUniversal, there is the possibility of an ensuing lawsuit. League officials are reportedly concerned about the health of Warner Bros. Discovery’s balance sheet amid a diminishing market capitalization and overall enterprise value. Comcast has a higher market capitalization and enterprise value, and league officials reportedly are more comfortable that the company can pay for the bid.

A point of conjecture, however, is in whether it would be able to exercise that right towards Amazon’s Prime Video, which reportedly has the framework for a streaming deal in place. During the company’s most recent earnings call, Warner Bros. Discovery president and chief executive officer David Zaslav stated that it could match Amazon’s offer as well, which is reportedly $1.8 billion annually. John Ourand of Puck News recently reported that sources of the matching rights told him that it is not the case.

Warner Bros. Discovery is working with The Walt Disney Company and FOX Corporation on a new joint streaming venture. The name of the venture was revealed to be Venu Sports on Thursday and contains one-third ownership from each media company. The endeavor is facing an antitrust lawsuit from Fubo and is still subject to regulatory approval. It is unknown if or how this platform could be affected if Warner Bros. Discovery was to lose its rights to broadcast NBA games.

For the first time in the history of the 2024 Pro Football Hall of Fame Game, the contest will be broadcast live on ESPN and simulcast on ABC. The preseason matchup between the Chicago Bears and Houston Texans will take place on Thursday, Aug. 1 at 8 p.m. EST from Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton, Ohio. The Monday Night Football broadcasting team of play-by-play announcer Joe Buck, analyst Troy Aikman and reporter Lisa Salters will call the game to begin the 105th season of the National Football League.

The Hall of Fame Game had previously been broadcast by NBC Sports for the last two seasons, with last year’s contest between the New York Jets and Cleveland Browns airing on the NBC linear television channel and streaming live on Peacock. NBC Sports presented the game every year from 2013 to 2019 with the exception of 2016 since that iteration of the matchup was canceled because of poor field conditions.

ESPN will also broadcast several events from Canton, Ohio throughout the summer, including the NFL Flag Championships from July 19 to July 21 and the Hall of Fame enshrinement on August 3. The regular-season schedule for the National Football League was revealed on Wednesday night, which includes 23 games broadcast on networks owned by The Walt Disney Company (ESPN/ABC). The company is currently in the third year of its media rights deal with the National Football League and is coming off its most-viewed season of Monday Night Football since 2000.

During the regular season, ESPN will commence its NFL live game broadcasts with a Week 1 Monday Night Football matchup between the New York Jets and San Francisco 49ers. In Week 7, the network will present an NFL game exclusively on ESPN+ between the Los Angeles Chargers and Arizona Cardinals. There are five doubleheaders on its schedule during the regular season along with two playoff games – one in the Wild Card round and one in the divisional round. The Walt Disney Company (ESPN/ABC) will broadcast the Super Bowl following the 2026 and 2030 seasons under the current media rights deal.

The National Football League revealed the full 2024 regular season schedule on Wednesday night, which includes 23 games on platforms owned by The Walt Disney Company (ESPN/ABC). Throughout the regular season and playoffs, ESPN will broadcast 25 games within its NFL property, along with a Monday night Super Wild Card matchup (ESPN, ABC, ESPN+) and divisional round playoff game (ESPN, ABC, ESPN+).

The lead Monday Night Football broadcast team of play-by-play announcer Joe Buck, analyst Troy Aikman and reporter Lisa Salters will return for their third season calling games together. Buck and Aikman embark on their 23rd year calling games together, furthering their distinction as the longest broadcasting pair in league history. Moreover, Salters will be on the call for the 13th season and is the longest-tenured sideline reporter in the history of the Monday Night Football broadcast property.

The slate of games commences with a matchup between the New York Jets and defending NFC champion San Francisco 49ers from Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif on Monday, Sept. 9 at 8:20 p.m. EST on ESPN and ABC. Beginning in Week 3, Disney will commence the first of five doubleheaders during the regular season, building off momentum it attained last year when it presented two matchups three times across the schedule. The first iteration will include a game between the Jacksonville Jaguars and Buffalo Bills on ESPN, while the Washington Commanders and Cincinnati Bengals face off on ABC.

Four Monday Night Football games will be presented on both ESPN and ABC throughout the regular season after alterations to the schedule last year because of the writers strike. Moreover, there will also be an NFL game exclusive to ESPN+ in Week 7 when the Los Angeles Chargers face the Arizona Cardinals.

As a whole, Monday Night Football viewership during the 2023 regular season averaged approximately 17.4 million viewers, up 29% year-over-year and marking its best season since 2000. Moreover, the broadcast property aired its four most-watched games since 2000 last season, including a Super Bowl rematch between the Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs that drew an average of 29 million viewers.

In addition to the traditional game broadcast, Monday Night Football with Peyton and Eli makes its return for a fourth season. The collaboration between ESPN and Omaha Productions was instantiated within a nine-year extension between the two parties that also includes original content creation. The alternate presentation will add an 11th game to its schedule, and as announced by Peyton Manning, feature former New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick at the start of these broadcasts. The broadcast averaged 1.24 million viewers across its nine-game slate in the 2023 NFL season and also introduced new technology and innovations as part of its third season on the air.

There are several other marquee matchups on the schedule throughout the year, including a game between the Baltimore Ravens and Los Angeles Chargers in Week 12. The Monday Night Football game represents the first time brothers Jim and John Harbaugh coach against one another since Super Bowl XLVII. Flex scheduling can also be utilized within the Monday Night Football property starting during this week until Week 17 as established by the NFL last season. The Walt Disney Company (ESPN/ABC) and the National Football League are entering the third year in their existing media rights deal, which includes Super Bowl broadcasts after the 2026 and 2030 seasons.