Report: TNT Sports uses matching rights for NBA games, league will decline and go with Amazon Prime

According to Andrew Marchand of The Athletic, TNT Sports has used its matching rights for NBA games in hopes of keeping the league on its network. TNT is going after the Amazon Prime Video of the new media rights deal in the NBA, costing around $1.8 billion.

“NEWS: TNT Sports has informed the NBA it intends to use its matching rights to retain the league’s games,” Marchand said via X. “It targeting the agreement between the league and Amazon Prime Video, according to sources.”

In the agreement the NBA worked up with Amazon Prime, the streaming service was set to be the home of six conference finals in the future. Play-in and playoff games would also be streamed there. For the regular season, the In-Season Tournament would be on Amazon Prime and eventually, games on Thursday nights once the NFL regular season had concluded.

By matching, TNT would be granted the same games.

However, there is now a decision for the NBA to make. Commissioner Adam Silver and his front office in New York will get to decide between Amazon Prime and TNT. And while nothing is official, Marchand reports the NBA is expected to go with Amazon Prime.

“While TNT has the contractual right to match an offer, per its current contract, the NBA is expected to decline the network’s right to take the agreed-upon Amazon package, sources briefed on the NBA’s plans said,” Marchand said in his full report. “The league’s preference is to honor the $1.8 billion per year contract it agreed to with Amazon.”

If Amazon Prime does wind up being the pick, this would likely mean the end of Inside the NBA — one of the best pre/postgame shows in all of sports. Households across America tune in to see Charles Barkley, Shaq, Ernie Johnson, and Kenny Smith before games are played.

Not just for their basketball analysis either. All four crew members enjoy having fun while on set, playing pranks with each other, and causing plenty of laughs. Multiple awards have been handed their way throughout the year.

Unfortunately, the show’s future is in serious jeopardy, and barring some kind of legal action being taken by TNT, likely over.

Barkley has claimed he would retire if Inside the NBA does not come back despite ESPN/ABC and NBC — the two other NBA broadcast partners alongside Amazon Prime or TNT Sports –potentially making a serious run at the media star.