We did hear that the NBA is nearing a decision for its next media rights deal. A whopping $76 billion over 11 years is the contract that is likely to cut it. The new partners are three of the biggest players out there – Comcast-owned NBC, Disney’s ESPN, and Amazon.com. Of course, it was bad news for all the Inside the NBA fans. However, it was one of the best news for LeBron James. Why, you ask? Evan Sidery of Forbes Sports has the answer to that. And here’s a small hint-it’s got to do with his “ultimate goal.“

“The NBA is expected to turn their attention to the possibility of expansion, once their $76 billion media rights deal with ESPN, NBC, and Amazon is finalized. Expansion isn’t guaranteed, but there’s internal optimism of eventually making it a 32-team league. Seattle and Las Vegas continue to be the two cities most connected to receiving expansion franchises,” Sidery mentioned in his report.

“I don’t think there’s any doubt, over time, this league can sustain two more teams,” Adam Silver said this week. According to the Wall Street Journal report, the three partners are about to bring in substantial profits each year. With the NBA gaining followers globally, it’s only natural there will be more viewers. And more views are a direct route to profits. NBC, as per WSJ, will pay an average of $2.5 billion a year in exchange for 100 games/season, half of which will be exclusively aired on their streaming service, Peacock.

As for Amazon, they will get the regular season and playoff games with a share of the conference finals. They amount to $1.8 billion. The final partner, Disney, will continue airing the Finals and come to up to $2.6 billion annually. The conference finals, though, will be split among the media partners. As for Warner Bros. Discovery, well, it’s a sad affair.

WBD’s Turner Network has been entertaining basketball enthusiasts for nearly 4 decades now. But all good things come to an end. However, according to analysts, one financial aspect limited them from competing for the lucrative NBA media rights. The Warner Bros.-Discovery merger in 2022 left them with a pretty hefty debt. As per the latest reports, their debt now stands at $43.2 billion!

So, you can imagine how they would compare to the other sharks. But what about the NBA expansion?

LeBron James might just be able to see his ‘Sin City’ dream materialize very soon, alas on the ruins of the crowd-favorite Inside the NBA

It wasn’t that far back, in fact, during Silver’s annual Finals presser, that the NBA Commissioner hinted at taking the expansion overseas. At the time, it was considered the end of the tunnel for Bron’s business-related dream. Back in 2o23, LeBron James, who is a dignified businessman with reasonable investments, expressed his desire to own a franchise in Las Vegas. He intends to expand his ownership portfolio after already owning a partial stake in Liverpool soccer club and the Boston Red Sox. And with the profit the new media rights deal will rake, it seems Adam Silver felt it prudent to show the green light for the NBA expansion. Well, as close as it gets.

Every Inside crew fan was holding out the hope that TNT would somehow stay put. Or at least, the emotional factor would encourage Adam Silver to maybe let them keep the foursome of Shaquille O’Neal, Kenny Smith, Ernie Johnson, and Charles Barkley together. But Silver did not make a decision based on emotions. At the end of the day, the man has to keep the welfare of the league in mind and what works best for it in the long term.

However, the good thing that did come out was the reignited hopes of an NBA expansion. Two more teams added to the league, one of which will be in the ‘Entertainment Capital of the World.’ You can imagine the kind of popularity and crowd the NBA will attract with a Vegas franchise. The last time an NBA expansion happened was in 2004 with the Charlotte Bobcats. In 2014, they rebranded as the Charlotte Hornets.

It’s been nearly 20 years since we saw a new face in the league! Wouldn’t you say that’s a long enough time? Let us know your thoughts on this new development in the comments.

But before you go, be sure to check this video of Leonardo Armato’s take on Caitlin Clark vs Angel Reese.

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