TNT and Amazon’s NBA Takeover: What Changes Will Fans See This Fall?

By Edcel Panganiban August 22, 2025 12:04

The 2025-26 NBA season marks a dramatic turning point in how basketball fans will experience their favorite games, as the league shifts into a new era of broadcasting dominated by Amazon Prime Video and the legacy network TNT. After decades-long partnership with TNT, which began in 1989, the NBA’s media rights landscape is evolving rapidly, promising significant changes in viewing access, production innovation, and fan engagement.

In July 2024, the NBA signed an unprecedented 11-year, $76 billion media rights deal with Disney (ABC/ESPN), NBCUniversal (NBC/Peacock), and Amazon Prime Video. Notably absent from the new flagship national broadcast portfolio is TNT’s cornerstone live game package, which the NBA opted to replace with Amazon’s digital streaming platform. This decision ended TNT’s near four-decade tenure as a primary NBA broadcast partner, effective after the 2024-25 season.

Amazon Prime Video is set to broadcast 66 regular-season games per season in the U.S., along with exclusive rights to the NBA Cup knockout rounds, play-in tournament games, select playoff series, and six NBA Conference Finals throughout the contract span. For fans, this means far more NBA content accessible on Amazon’s streaming service, with an emphasis on interactive features, real-time statistics overlays, and technologically enhanced viewing experiences that are designed to appeal to a global audience increasingly shifting toward digital consumption.

However, TNT’s iconic studio show Inside the NBA featuring Ernie Johnson, Charles Barkley, Kenny Smith, and Shaquille O’Neal will live on through a licensing agreement with ESPN, ensuring continuity of one of the sport’s most beloved basketball talk shows despite the upheaval in live game broadcasting. The preservation of Inside the NBA represents a win for fans and showcases the NBA’s recognition of the show’s cultural resonance.

Fans who have long enjoyed TNT’s Tuesday and Thursday doubleheaders and strong playoff coverage will notice the redistribution of those games to Amazon in the upcoming season. Traditional cable viewers will also notice a reshuffling of which games appear on ABC/ESPN and NBC/Peacock, with the latter regaining national NBA rights for the first time since the 2002-03 season. Significantly, the NBA will now offer nationally televised games on every day of the week, expanding visibility and underscoring the league’s goal to maximize audience reach.

From a fan experience perspective, Amazon aims to leverage its massive subscriber base and global reach to innovate how basketball is presented. Expect interactive features such as alternate commentary options, in-depth analytics, and potentially virtual reality viewing. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver expressed optimism about the deal stating, “The digital opportunities with Amazon align perfectly with the global interest in the NBA. Prime Video’s massive subscriber base will dramatically expand our ability to reach fans worldwide in exciting and innovative ways”.

TNT, despite losing live national game rights, remains involved in NBA coverage through managing NBA Digital properties and distributing licensed content, while continuing to provide local coverage in some markets. Warner Bros. Discovery (parent company of TNT) has taken legal action contesting the NBA’s decision but has since settled to allow the transition.

In summary, NBA fans this fall will witness a seismic shift in how and where they watch the game. While TNT’s long run as a primary broadcaster ends, Amazon Prime Video’s entry ushers in a new era of streaming-first NBA viewing enhanced by next-level technology and expanded access. Combining the old guard’s beloved shows like Inside the NBA with fresh digital innovations, the 2025-26 season promises to transform the fan experience on multiple fronts, blending tradition with cutting-edge progress.