The deal comes with new rights for both ESPN and TNT. ESPN now has rights to summer league and D-league games, 10 more regular season games, 750 more hours of NBA coverage, and the ability to spread their brand across the globe. TNT will also get more rights with 12 more regular season games and new multimedia rights.
The deal is great for all sides of the party. It also shows how much the NBA has grown over the past years. ESPN president John Skipper pointed this out when he said, "The NBA has never been more popular and it continues to grow under Adam's leadership..." Skipper is right the league has never been more popular and it's popularity will continue to grow.
The deal becomes effective in the 2016-17 season and will run through the 2024-25 season. Commissioner Adam Silver said the deal will lead to a "substantial increase" in the salary cap when it becomes effective. This is good news for free 2016 free agents Kevin Durant and LeBron James. The deal will allow them to break records in being the highest paid NBA players ever.
The new deal is great for everyone. The NBA benefits with a large increase in coverage and the ability to globalize the NBA, which are main goals of new commissioner Adam Silver. All fans will benefit to with increased coverage, and more ways to access it. Lastly, ESPN and TNT get to keep televising one of the nation's fastest growing sports. The new deal is beneficial for the league, fans, teams, players, and the networks.
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