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How the NBA's next TV deal could disrupt the media landscape

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How the NBA's next TV deal could disrupt the media landscape

It’s a good time to be in the sports business, and no one knows that better than the NBA.

In the coming weeks, the league is expected to announce a new game-changing multiyear media rights pact that reportedly will more than double its annual fees from TV and streaming outlets to $6 billion annually after the 2024-25 National Basketball Assn. season.

The deal has the potential to shake up the future of the current media landscape, as two streaming platforms are said to be in the running for exclusive games. The ongoing talks also could result in the loss of an NBA TV package for Warner Bros. Discovery’s TNT, which has made the league a cornerstone of its programming for more than three decades.

Amazon Prime Video is expected to get an exclusive package of games. It would be the second major sports property for the tech giant, which has the rights to NFL “Thursday Night Football” and will stream its first exclusive playoff game next season.

While streaming services have drawn users with the lure of high-quality original programs and movies, live sports is the most efficient way to attract massive audiences and build scale. Amazon’s bid coincides with its aggressive push into the TV advertising marketplace.

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The deep-pocketed Amazon, buoyed by its online retail business, has been able to spend aggressively for sports (it’s paying $1 billion a year to the NFL for Thursday games). Meanwhile, legacy media companies are under pressure to deal with rising costs while managing the declining revenues and profits for their traditional TV businesses.

While Amazon is expected to come away with a significant package, Walt Disney Co. likely will retain the rights to the NBA Finals. One of the crown jewels of TV sports, it would continue to air on broadcast network ABC.

Disney’s ESPN also would continue to carry regular-season and playoff games. Disney reportedly would pay $2.6 billion a year, up from $1.5 billion in the current deal that runs through the 2024-25 season.

Retaining the NBA would further solidify ESPN’s future as it prepares to offer its channels through a new streaming service aimed at consumers without a pay TV subscription. The plan is to make the direct-to-consumer version of ESPN available in 2025.

The wild card in the NBA talks is the entry of Philadelphia-based cable giant Comcast Corp., which reportedly has made a $2.5-billion bid for a package of games for streaming service Peacock and broadcast network NBC.

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If Comcast succeeds at the expense of Turner, it would be a significant blow to the latter’s parent company, Warner Bros. Discovery, especially from a public image standpoint. Warner Bros. Discovery’s stock has declined by 40% during the last year.

The popular “Inside the NBA,” with co-hosts Charles Barkley, Shaquille O’Neal, Ernie Johnson and Kenny Smith, has helped define TNT’s identity over the years. (Barkley has already said he has the option to leave TNT if the network loses the NBA.)

Ernie Johnson, left, Charles Barkley and Shaquille O’Neal of “Inside the NBA” at the 2020 Basketball Hall of Fame awards gala.

(Associated Press)

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Representatives for the NBA and the media companies all declined to comment.

Comcast’s offer appears to be aimed at boosting Peacock, which has struggled to reach profitability despite steady subscriber growth. The streaming platform, which currently has 34 million subscribers, has proven its ability to handle large live audiences. Its presentation of an NFL playoff game in January peaked at 16.3 million concurrent viewers.

A Comcast deal also would return the NBA to NBC, which held the league rights from 1990 to 2002 and brought the championships of Michael Jordan’s Chicago Bulls to living rooms across the country. The network also carried the league’s games from 1954 to 1962.

NBC reportedly is offering to carry two prime-time NBA games a week, according to the Wall Street Journal, which first reported the bid. Such a commitment demonstrates just how much traditional TV networks desire live sports, which has been a bulwark in the battle to retain viewers and advertising dollars.

Network audiences for scripted comedies and dramas have greatly diminished, as viewers now prefer to watch them on demand through streaming platforms. Viewers still have to make an appointment to view live sports, enhancing their value in the streaming age.

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If Comcast lands the NBA, NBC could have live sports in prime time several nights a week, as it already carries “NFL Sunday Night Football” and Big Ten college football on Saturdays.

“It’s indicative of the fact that sports draws a major audience unlike any other programming,” said Lee Berke, president of LHB Sports, Media & Entertainment.

NBC is hardly alone. Companies with broadcast networks and TV stations are all looking at adding live sports to their lineups, as the habit of watching shows in real time becomes a relic of the past.

If Turner loses the NBA, questions likely would be raised over Warner Bros. Discovery’s role in a planned joint venture with Disney and Fox Corp. The three companies announced in January that they are launching a streaming platform, carrying linear channels such as ESPN, TNT and Fox Sports.

Turner has the NHL, Major League Baseball and the NCAA men’s basketball tournament. But the NBA was a significant piece of its offering. Without it, Warner Bros. Discovery could end up with a smaller stake in the venture, according to people familiar with the discussions.

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There also could be long-term ramifications for Warner Bros. Discovery’s carriage arrangements with cable and satellite operators, who pay fees to carry its channels. The company would have to negotiate its next round of deals without offering the NBA at a time when such talks are increasingly contentious. Pay TV operators are battling to keep costs down as their customer base continues to shrink every year.

“WBD’s management has disclosed that a decent number of network carriage agreements are up for renewal next year making this a key focus for investors in the days ahead,” wrote analysts from the New York firm MoffettNathanson in a research report for clients.

The report noted that TNT commands around $2.6 billion in subscriber fees, accounting for 30% of Warner Bros. Discovery’s revenue from pay TV providers in the U.S.

People familiar with the NBA discussions say there is a chance that the league could put together a fourth package of games to accommodate both Comcast and Turner. But that would complicate life for the consumer looking for the next tip-off in an already fragmented media environment.

“When you offer up your games on four or five national outlets, it makes it more difficult for the fans to find out where the games are on,” Berke said.

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Ex-NFL star implores Russell Wilson to hang it up: ‘Do your TV thing’

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Ex-NFL star implores Russell Wilson to hang it up: ‘Do your TV thing’

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Russell Wilson has had his share of ups and downs in his NFL career.

He helped the Seattle Seahawks to a Super Bowl championship in 2013 and was named to the Pro Bowl four times. But the last few years of his career arguably did some damage to his legacy as he’s spent the last three seasons with three different teams.

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New York Giants quarterback Russell Wilson watches from the sidelines during the second quarter against the Philadelphia Eagles at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J., on Oct. 9, 2025. (Brad Penner/Imagn Images)

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Wilson is still on the free-agent market as he looks to latch on to a new team for 2026. However, former NFL star Aqib Talib implored Wilson to hang up the cleats.

“Do your TV thing, Russ. It’s over with, man. Once you’ve got to decide, do I even want to play?” Talib said on “The Arena: Gridiron.” “I think you don’t really want to play. I hate when guys get to the later part of their career and then they start doing the bounce-around thing and they’re not going to win. There was no chip in New York. That’s just going to be another stop on your resume.”

Wilson reportedly garnered some interest from NFL teams.

New York Giants quarterback Russell Wilson stands on the field before a game against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, PA on Oct. 26, 2025. (Bill Streicher/Imagn Images)

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He told the New York Post that the New York Jets were one of them.

Wilson also was reportedly a candidate to take Matt Ryan’s spot on CBS’ “The NFL Today” after Ryan left to take a front office job with the Atlanta Falcons.

Wilson has 46,966 passing yards and 353 passing touchdowns in 205 career games, but the 2025 season with the New York Giants was one to forget.

Wilson started three games and made some bizarre decisions in a loss against the Chiefs. Jaxson Dart was named the starting quarterback. As he came in to take a few snaps while Dart was being checked for a concussion, Wilson was booed.

New York Giants quarterback Russell Wilson watches from the sidelines during the second half against the Denver Broncos at Empower Field at Mile High in Denver, Colo., on Oct. 19, 2025. (Ron Chenoy/Imagn Images)

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Should he end up signing with another team, Wilson will be entering his age-38 season.

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Artists, community come together to welcome World Cup to Inglewood with murals and more

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Artists, community come together to welcome World Cup to Inglewood with murals and more

A lot has changed since Jacori Perry attended Morningside High School.

Perry is now a renowned artist who goes by the names Mr. Ace and AiseBorn.

The school is now known as Inglewood High School United.

And the lecture hall on that campus now features a large, ornate mural of a soccer ball being grasped by the hands of two people — freshly painted by the 2004 Morningside graduate as the city of Inglewood prepares to host eight World Cup games at SoFi Stadium starting next month.

Local artist Mr. Ace works on his mural at Inglewood High School United on May 11. The artists, whose real name is Jacori Perry, attended the school when it was known as Morningside High more than two decades ago.

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(Eric Thayer/Los Angeles Times)

“If you told me that I would be back here painting one of the walls on this campus when I was in high school, I don’t think that I necessarily would have foreseen it,” Mr. Ace said as he was putting the finishing touches on his mural last week. “So I’m a little in amazement about just the way life works in that sense.”

He was one of several Los Angeles-based artists to participate in a Road to World Cup Community Day last month at Inglewood High United. Many of the artists — including Juan Pablo Reyes (“JP murals”), Michelle Ruby Guerrero (“Mr. B Baby”) and Angel Acordagoitia — sketched designs on portable panels (12-feet by 8-feet) and picnic tables for community members to paint.

The picnic tables will remain at the high school in front of Mr. Ace’s mural. The mobile murals will be placed throughout LAX to welcome visitors arriving for the World Cup.

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Kathryn Schloessman, CEO of the Los Angeles World Cup 2026 Host Committee, said in a news release that the event was “just one example of how the energy of the World Cup can be felt in neighborhoods across our region.”

“Students, artists, and volunteers came together to create a work of art that will live on well beyond the end of the tournament,” Schloessman said. “It’s a reflection of the creativity, diversity, and community pride that makes our region so special as we prepare to host the world for FIFA World Cup 2026.”

Community members were encouraged to take part in the painting process, no matter their skill level.

“We made it easy enough for people that have zero experience to a proficient level of experience, for them to all be involved,” said Reyes, who designed and helped paint two mural panels and three tables. “We did the sketch, and then I tried to dab a little bit of color — whatever color is supposed to be there, I dabbed a little bit of color right there, so they would have a guide. …

People stand on a scaffold and on the ground while painting a mural on a large panel.

Students and community members help paint a mural panel during a Road to World Cup Community Day event May 2 at Inglewood High School.

(Dawn M. Burkes / Los Angeles Times)

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“I was right there, kind of supervising, making sure that everything went as planned. And if anybody has questions, they’re more than welcome to let me know about them. But, yeah, it’s pretty easy for them to kind of be involved and feel that sense of ownership and have a sense of pride that, ‘Yeah, I was part of that mural-creation process.’ It’s a rich experience for them.”

Acordagoitia sketched several table-top designs for the public to paint at the event.

“They did great,” he said of the community members. “They helped a lot. They were asking questions. They got all the other colors correct. So, yeah, they were excited. A lot of kids were excited to see the live painting, because now kids are used to being on their phones. So that was a great experience for them.”

Acordagoitia also opted to paint a mural panel on his own because “it was a little more technical,” involving portraits of his 8-year-old son, a nephew and a friend.

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“I wanted to focus more on the youth because that’s really our future,” he said. “So that’s, that’s the main thing about the mural, just about the kids, soccer, culture, community. It’s exciting for me, because I grew up playing soccer and to include soccer with art, it’s just a dream come true.”

Guerrero said “the community was a big help in filling in all the background colors that I need in order to build the detail and layers” on the two mural panels she designed.

“My whole style is based on culture. And I think that there’s a connection there with the World Cup and how I feel like it brings together all the culture and just, like, celebration,” Guerrero said. “It kind of goes hand in hand with the type of work I do, because my stuff is really festive, celebrating culture. And just as an L.A.-based artist, I think the collaboration made sense.”

The four artists also took part in another Road to World Cup Community Day in downtown L.A. at Gloria Molina Grand Park on March 14. At that event, the artists sketched designs on large sculptures shaped like soccer balls and an oversized picnic table, also for community members to paint.

While Mr. Ace opted to paint his permanent mural at Inglewood High School United on his own, he was sure to include the community theme into his work.

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“The idea was really centered around just creating something that was community-based — something that represented the World Cup but also represented some sense of community,” he said. “And so what I did was try to create something that was symbolic, very direct in terms of its relationship to soccer and figuring out through that how to create something simple that [brings] into that a sense of community. And that’s how I landed on the two hands holding the soccer ball.”

A man stands in a lift and paints on a wall with blue paint as part of a mural with an ornate design.

Local artist Mr. Ace works on his World Cup-themed mural at Inglewood High School United on May 11.

(Eric Thayer / Los Angeles Times)

Back when he was a student on that campus, Mr. Ace said he was always involved in art and knew he wanted a career as an artist. He struggled to come up with the right words to describe how it felt being back there creating a work of art to be shared with the students, all of the community and everyone who happens to see it on the way to a World Cup match.

“I guess there’s no words to really describe it,” he said. “I think if any artist gets the opportunity to paint at their own high school — especially if they’ve been doing large-scale works around the city, the country or the world — I think that is a little touching. When it’s attached to something like the World Cup … you know, a large part of my childhood was spent in Inglewood, so coming from my circumstances and life, I think it’s even more intriguing.”

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Indy 500: Counting Down The 10 Best Finishes In Race History

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Indy 500: Counting Down The 10 Best Finishes In Race History

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The best Indianapolis 500 finish could be subjective, depending on which driver a fan was rooting for to win.

It certainly is in the eye of the beholder.

So take this list for what it’s worth. One view of the 10 best finishes in Indianapolis 500 history. Of course, it skews to more recent decades when the runs have come a little faster and the finishes have had a tendency to be a little closer.

We’ll add one each day to this list of fantastic finishes ahead of the 110th running of the Indy 500 on May 24 (12:30 p.m. ET on FOX).

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10. Ericsson outduels O’Ward (2022)

After a red flag, Marcus Ericsson held off Pato O’Ward in a two-lap shootout. The shootout didn’t last two laps, though, as there was a crash on the final lap behind them. Ericsson had a comfortable lead when the red flag came out for a crash with four laps to go, a situation where in past Indianapolis 500 races, they likely would have ended the race under caution with Ericsson as the winner.

9. Foyt survives chaos (1967)

How does a driver who wins by two laps end up on this list? It’s because the win nearly didn’t happen on the last lap. A big crash with cars and debris littering the frontstretch just ahead of Foyt as he came to the checkered flag forced him to navigate through the wreckage for the win.

8. Sato can’t catch Franchitti (2012)

This was one of those finishes where the leader holds on for the win, but boy did the leader have to hold on. Takuma Sato tried to pass Dario Franchitti early on the final lap but to no avail and Franchitti sped off for the victory. This was one of those Indy 500s that made you hold your breath all the way to the checkered flag.

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