NBA inks $76B media rights deal, paving way for Sonics' return to Seattle

SEATTLE — The NBA and Seattle-based Amazon announced they are teaming up for the next 11 years in a multibillion-dollar TV and digital rights package, setting the stage for the potential return of the Sonics to Seattle.

On Wednesday, the NBA formally announced it agreed to the deal for broadcast and digital rights with Amazon, ESPN, ABC and NBC to carry games through the 2035-36 season.

It has been reported that the package is worth as much as $76 billion.

Amazon CEO Andy Jassy sent a message on the platform formerly known as Twitter:

Couldn’t be more excited about the long-term agreement we just signed with the NBA. Starting in the 2025-26 season, Prime members will be able to stream an exciting slate of regular season games, the NBA Cup in-season tournament, the entire postseason play-in tournament, first and second round playoff games, and NBA conference finals every other season. We’ve also expanded our relationship with the WNBA, and will be streaming 30 regular season games annually, 1/3 of all playoff games, and three WNBA finals over the 11 years. We are honored to work with these amazing products and leagues, and can’t wait to keep innovating the viewing experience for fans.

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It is Amazon’s latest foray into covering live sports, as it has rights to NFL Thursday night games and recently acquired the rights for the NHL’s local Seattle Kraken broadcasts.

However, there is one wrinkle as current rights holder Warner Brothers Discovery, which owns TNT, says it offered to match Amazon’s deal and felt the NBA was contractually bound to accept the offer. WBD said “we will take appropriate action.”

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver has suggested that once the new deal was done, the league would turn to expansion “in earnest” in the fall and has previously mentioned Seattle as a potential expansion candidate.

It is easy for anyone to see the synergy, as Jassy owns a part of the Kraken, and Amazon owns the naming rights to Climate Pledge Arena. However, he nor anyone with the Kraken ownership group has attempted to publicly lobby the league for a new team.

Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell has suggested he will take a more active role on the issue in August and was having weekly meetings to be prepared for the effort.

One of his predecessors, then-Mayor Greg Nickels, agreed to allow the Sonics ownership group to buy out their KeyArena lease in 2008 for $45 million, settling a lawsuit by the city. The franchise moved to Oklahoma City and is now worth more than $3 billion, according to Forbes.

It is widely rumored that an expansion franchise fee will cost more than $4 billion.

The KeyArena site was overhauled in 2021 for $1.2 billion. Climate Pledge Arena, which stands in its place, includes a future NBA locker room and will host an NBA exhibition game for the third consecutive season this fall.

**KOMO Sports Director Niko Tamurian and Senior Reporter Chris Daniels will continue to follow the story on their weekly podcast and show called “Inside the Arena” on your favorite audio platform, YouTube and CW Seattle.