How Upcoming NBA Media Rights Could Help Lead To A Sale Of The Trail Blazers

By 750 THE GAME STAFF

Media rights are officially everywhere in sports. It always mattered, but now we are seeing how influential TV companies are in sports.

The NBA media rights deal is up in 2025. Could the NBA media rights deal coincide with a new owner for the Blazers?

John Canzano on the Bald Faced Truth thinks that the NBA media rights deal could be vital to Jody Allen selling the Blazers to a permanent owner.

“Part of the prevailing sentiment and thought as to why Jody Allen’s holding on to the Blazers relates to this media rights negotiation,” Canzano said on 750 The Game. “Let’s just say it is Amazon Prime, it is ESPN, and now NBC is coming back into the fold. All of this is good for Blazers fans. Not from a TV perspective but from a timeline perspective, because the prevailing sentiment was that Jody Allen wanted to see what this media rights deal was going to be worth and then bake that in to the price – the sales price for the Blazers.”

According to the Wall Street Journal, NBC is prepared to offer up to $2.5 billion annually to broadcast a package of NBA games. That is double what Warner/Turner Sports is currently paying for the NBA package at $1.2 billion annually. That number from NBC will make it very enticing for Jody Allen to sell at a big number.

“It’s going to be a big number and it’s going to make the Phil Knight $2.5 billion offer with Alan Smolinisky look like it was a low ball offer, probably,” said Canzano.

It remains to be seen what and who would be interested in purchasing the Blazers. But the NBA media rights deal could be a gigantic step in the Blazers getting a permanent and new owner.

Listen to the full show of the Bald Faced Truth with John Canzano by clicking the podcast below. Catch the Bald Faced Truth live weekdays 3-6 p.m. in Portland exclusively on 750 The Game.

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