Hollywood agents and writers are expressing concerns about the impact of the NBA’s 11-year, $76 billion deals with Disney, NBC, and Amazon on their businesses. They anticipate a decrease in new scripted television shows and reruns, leading to lower residuals.
The deal with NBC will displace over 150 hours of broadcast TV entertainment with live NBA programming on Sunday and Tuesday nights, excluding playoffs.
An unnamed veteran media executive mentioned in the Hollywood Reporter story referred to the deals as a “transfer of wealth from Hollywood to the sports leagues.”
Disney has announced plans to spend $25 billion on content this year, a decrease from $27 billion in 2023. Forty percent of their content budget is allotted to sports and sports-related programming.
Jonathan Miller, former NBA executive and current CEO of Integrated Media, which focuses on digital media investments, noted, “There’s less money overall, and more of that money is being allocated toward sports.” He emphasized the predictability and reliability of the sports audience for advertisers.
