TNT added Monday-night doubleheaders to its NBA package for the 2016-17 season, and in July 2024 the NBA signed 11-year media rights deals with Disney, NBC and Amazon after rejecting Warner Bros. Discovery's $1.8 billion per year offer. The 2016 expansion brought TNT to a 64-game schedule with 10 Monday doubleheaders beginning January 16, 2017. The 2024 decision left TNT outside the league's next package, which begins after the 2024-25 season.
This page was first published on August 16, 2016. It was updated in October 2026 to add the 2024 rights decision and to replace unsourced claims with dated facts.
What did TNT add to its NBA schedule in 2016?
TNT added a Monday-night doubleheader package to its NBA schedule for the 2016-17 season, according to the 2016-17 NBA broadcast schedule. Turner Sports entered its 33rd consecutive year of NBA coverage with an expanded 64-game schedule. TNT planned 20 Thursday-night and 10 Monday-night doubleheaders.
The Monday package began on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, January 16, 2017, with Cavaliers against Warriors at 8 p.m. and Thunder against Clippers at 10:30 p.m., according to a Cynopsis report on the schedule. TNT also launched Players Only, a Monday franchise of doubleheaders that used former players as announcers, which ran from February 27 to March 27, 2017, according to NBA.com.
Why did the 2016 Finals rematch anchor the schedule?
The Cavaliers and Warriors anchored TNT's 2016-17 schedule because they met in the 2016 NBA Finals, which the Cavaliers won. The NBA schedule release listed the Warriors with 37 national-television regular-season games, 10 of them on TNT. The Cavaliers had 34, with 9 on TNT.
The Cynopsis report listed 10 TNT appearances each for the Warriors and the Clippers and nine each for the Cavaliers, Knicks, Bulls, Celtics and Spurs. TNT also held exclusive rights to the 2017 Eastern Conference Finals, according to the NBA schedule release.
Why it works. A schedule built around the previous Finals gives a network an existing story to promote: the same two teams, with a known result. The NBA's August 2016 schedule release documents which teams received the most national games. The link between the Finals result and the schedule is this page's reading, not a statement from TNT.
What changed in the NBA's media rights in 2024?
The NBA signed 11-year media rights deals with Disney, NBC and Amazon Prime Video on July 24, 2024, after the league said Warner Bros. Discovery's offer did not match Amazon's terms. The Associated Press reported that the deals would bring the league about $76 billion over 11 years and that WBD had offered $1.8 billion per year. The league's statement said WBD's most recent proposal did not match the terms of Amazon's offer, according to the Associated Press report.
Amazon Prime Video would carry games on Friday nights, select Saturday afternoons and Thursday doubleheaders after Thursday Night Football ends, and it would take over NBA League Pass. NBC and Peacock would carry up to 28 playoff games in the first two rounds. Disney would keep the NBA Finals, according to the same reports. TNT said it looked forward to the coming season, including Inside the NBA.
Insider Sport reported that the league preferred Amazon's commitment to show all of its eligible games on Prime Video, while TNT wanted to place games on cable and on the WBD streaming service. That reason is Insider Sport's reporting, not an NBA statement.
What does the 2016 to 2024 arc teach sports media-rights teams?
The 2016 to 2024 arc teaches sports media-rights teams that a schedule expansion is a promotional asset only while the rights are held. TNT's 2016 additions, from the Monday package to Players Only, ran inside a contract that the NBA did not renew in the 2024 cycle.
- Document each addition with a date and a count. The 64-game schedule and the January 16, 2017, start date are quotable because the NBA published them.
- State the rights term next to the announcement. A reporter writing about a new package needs the end date as well as the start date.
- Prepare the streaming answer before the renewal talks. The Insider Sport account shows that where games appear, as well as how many, can decide a deal.
How do the 2016 and 2024 decisions compare in one table?
The table below sets the 2016 expansion and the 2024 rights decision side by side. Each row names its source.
| Item | 2016 to 2017 | 2024 | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| TNT schedule | 64 games, 10 Monday doubleheaders | No package in the 11-year cycle | NBA schedule release; Associated Press |
| Key date | January 16, 2017, first Monday doubleheader | July 24, 2024, deals signed | Cynopsis; Associated Press |
| Partners named | Turner Sports, 33rd year | Disney, NBC, Amazon | NBA schedule release; Associated Press |
| Value reported | Not stated in sources reviewed | About $76 billion over 11 years | Associated Press |
TNT and NBA media rights questions answered
When did TNT start Monday NBA doubleheaders?
TNT started Monday-night NBA doubleheaders on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, January 16, 2017. The opening doubleheader was Cavaliers against Warriors, followed by Thunder against Clippers.
How many NBA games did TNT air in 2016-17?
TNT aired 64 regular-season NBA games in 2016-17, according to the league's broadcast schedule. The package included 20 Thursday doubleheaders and 10 Monday doubleheaders.
What did the NBA decide about TNT in 2024?
The NBA decided on July 24, 2024, to sign 11-year deals with Disney, NBC and Amazon and not to accept Warner Bros. Discovery's $1.8 billion per year offer. The deals were reported at about $76 billion over 11 years.
How was this page made?
This page was updated in October 2026 from the original article of August 16, 2016. It was drafted with AI assistance and checked against the sources named in each section. Reported fees for the 2024 deals differ by outlet, so this page cites only the figures that the Associated Press reported.