Disney doesn’t think it’s going to foul in its drive to score a new pact with the NBA.
Speaking to investors Tuesday, Disney CEO Bob Iger said the company was “optimistic or confident” that Disney would renew its agreement with the basketball league that would keep a sizable package of its games on ESPN and other Disney properties. Disney has also served as home to the NBA Finals, which typically air on the ABC broadcast network.
“We continue to look at the NBA, you know, not not only as a premium sports product, but as a sports product that has growth ahead of it, obviously with great demographics,” Iger said. “We feel really good about the potential package that we will end up with in terms of it, basically enabling ESPN to continue to shine in the television sports business.” He declined to speak about potential terms of any deal.
The Disney chief spoke as negotiations between the NBA and various media companies have become more heated. The NBA’s current contract with Disney and Warner Bros. Discovery ends after the 2025 season.
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Disney struck a confident tone as speculation has swirled around the fate of the Warner package, with recent reports suggesting that both Amazon and NBCUniversal have entered the negotiation fray. Warner’s NBA package plays a significant role in its relationship with cable distributors and hours on its flagship cable network TNT.
“We’re confident or optimistic we’re going to end up with an NBA deal that will be long term and that in our best interest in the best interest of our subscribers,” Iger said.
