An ideal way to watch your favorite sport would simply be to log into a device and enjoy the action. But the NBA’s plan for the 2025/26 season and beyond involves, to put it mildly, chaos. The league ended its long-standing partnership with TNT in favor of a deal that will see fans paying a lot more. But do they really need it?
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The NBA signed an 11-year deal worth more than $70 billion with Disney (who own ABC and ESPN), NBC, and Amazon Prime. There will be more games broadcast on TV, but now, fans will have to subscribe to multiple platforms. Even those looking for just the League Pass will have to subscribe to it through Amazon. This makes it much more expensive, and for most fans, it’s a slap in the face. Hall of Famer Charles Barkley, too, hates it.
In a conversation with Bill Simmons, the 76ers legend spoke about how the league doesn’t care about the fans and is only focused on making money. $7 billion a year will fill the pockets of a lot of people, including the players, who should now be paid even more handsomely. But what good does it do to those who make the game as special as it is? Fans.
Barkley brought up the schedule of an average game week, which will include matches on different networks every single day. “Sometimes the game’s gonna be on Peacock, and it’s not gonna be on NBC, I think that’s a huge dilemma for the NBA,” Chuck opined.
Simmons humorously added that the NBA won’t care about what the fans feel because “they have so much money they will wipe their tears with cash.” Funny, yes, but sad at the same time. The game is changing, and the amount of say fans have is also reducing.
“They don’t give a s— about the fans.”
Charles Barkley believes the NBA’s new TV package is going to be a problem for regular fans. pic.twitter.com/ONvif3Y8jg
— The Ringer (@ringer) September 3, 2025
“Bill, I’m so glad you said that,” Barkley continued. “I think it’s a big deal, because they just took all the money from all three networks. I don’t think they give a sh** about the fans, and I think this is gonna come back to bite them, to be honest with you.”
The Round Mound of Rebounds is also wary of the fact that it’s an 11-year deal. So, fans will have to struggle for a long time, with the NBA unlikely to change anything to make things easier. Watching all games would become expensive, and finding the right game to watch would be difficult.
Commissioner Adam Silver, however, will have to keep one thing in mind. NBA viewership, which already went down 2% from the 23/24 season, could dip even further if the prices continue to skyrocket. Only incredibly competitive basketball action and superstars in the league could keep this venture afloat.
