NEW YORK, June 27, 2007 -- The National Basketball Association (NBA) has extended and expanded its partnerships with The Walt Disney Company and Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., reaching eight-year agreements to have ABC, ESPN and TNT televise NBA games through the 2015-16 season. The agreements were announced today by NBA Commissioner David Stern, David Levy, Turner Sports President, and George Bodenheimer, President, ESPN, Inc. and ABC Sports. The NBA’s current six-year deals with ESPN/ABC and TNT expire at the end of the 2007-08 season.

The agreements, which extend the NBA’s television relationship with Turner to 32 years and with ESPN/ABC to 14 years, will keep NBA games nationally televised on Wednesdays (ESPN), Thursdays (TNT), Fridays (ESPN) and Sundays (ABC). NBA TV’s Monday, Tuesday and Saturday telecasts complete a full week of nationally televised games. The NBA’s 24-hour network will continue to be part of the league’s television landscape presenting 96 regular season games and up to nine Playoff games.

Under the terms of the new partnership, ESPN will have enhanced digital rights to have the NBA deliver content for multiple ESPN platforms, including: ABC, ESPN, ESPN.com, and ESPN360.com. ESPN will also have an augmented package of international television rights for game and studio telecasts.

As part of the agreement, Turner will have enhanced content/digital rights to have the NBA deliver content for multiple Turner and Time Warner platforms, including: TNT games simulcast on wireless, broadband, and VOD through TNT OverTime; interactive online elements such as selected camera angles, statistic feeds and video to complement TNT’s telecasts; and exclusive broadband and other content, including highlights and studio shows, for digital platforms.

“We are honored by the expression of confidence that these contracts, with two of the most respected media companies in the world, represent” said Stern. “The NBA’s future as important, one-of-a-kind event programming has once again been affirmed.”

TURNER BROADCASTING SYSTEM, INC.

TNT will televise, on an exclusive basis, 52 regular season games in primetime, 48 of which will be part of doubleheaders generally on Thursday nights, as well as Opening Night, the All-Star Game and All-Star Saturday Night.

TNT will televise up to 52 Playoff games. In addition, TNT will have exclusive coverage of the conference semifinals and one of the conference finals each year.

Turner’s multimedia platforms, including TNT Overtime, will have the ability to stream TNT-televised games, highlights, and non-game programming on a live, delayed and on-demand basis.

“We are committed to providing quality sports programming that matters to our audience, advertisers and distribution partners,” said Levy. “This partnership reflects the strength of our company as a sports content provider. Our ongoing partnership with the NBA significantly strengthens Turner’s unique leadership position in the sports marketplace.”

THE WALT DISNEY COMPANY

ABC will continue to televise games on an exclusive basis with a minimum of 15 regular season games beginning on Christmas Day and continuing on Sunday afternoons starting in January. The postseason on ABC will include a minimum of 15 games, including the entire best-of-seven Finals in primetime.

ESPN and ESPN2 will televise up to 75 regular season games primarily on Wednesday and Friday nights. ESPN will also televise up to 29 playoff games, feature exclusive coverage of the conference semifinals and one of the conference finals each year. The network will also have exclusive coverage of the NBA All-Star Celebrity Game, the NBA Draft and Draft Lottery each season, and will feature coverage of the yearly NBA Pre-Draft Camp via ESPNU.

ESPN will have the rights to stream its games on a live, delayed and on-demand basis across all of its multimedia platforms, including ABC, ESPN, ESPN.com, ESPN 360 and ESPN Mobile TV.

NBA programming on ESPN Radio, ESPN Classic and ESPN Deportes will be extended until 2015-16, including: ESPN Radio rights for a minimum of 15 regular season games, 32 Playoff games, NBA All-Star Game and NBA Draft; additional classic games televised each week on ESPN Classic; and live simulcasts of ESPN and ESPN2 games on ESPN Deportes.

“We are thrilled to work with David Stern and our partners on an expansive array of rights - it sets a new standard,” said Bodenheimer. “This agreement will allow us to provide more NBA content to serve more NBA fans than ever before."

TNT
  • 52 regular season games, on an exclusive basis, 48 of which will be part of doubleheaders generally on Thursday nights, as well as Opening Night and holidays (e.g. MLK Day).
  • Up to 52 Playoff games featuring exclusive coverage of its conference semifinals games and one full conference finals series.
  • Exclusive presentations of All-Star Game and All-Star Saturday events.
  • Enhanced digital media opportunities, including streaming TNT NBA games on a live, delayed and on-demand basis across all of its multimedia platforms such as TNT OverTime, which includes replays of the Emmy Award-winning Inside the NBA studio show.
  • Interactive online elements such as selected camera angles, statistic feeds and video to complement TNT’s game telecasts.
  • Exclusive broadband and other content, including highlights and studio shows, for digital platforms.

    ABC
  • Minimum of 15 regular season games beginning on Christmas Day and continuing on Sunday afternoons starting in January.
  • Exclusivity for all regular season, Playoff and Finals broadcasts.
  • Best-of-seven Finals broadcast in primetime.

    ESPN
  • Up to 75 regular season games primarily on Wednesday and Friday nights.
  • Up to 29 Playoff games featuring exclusive coverage of its conference semifinals games and one full conference finals series.
  • Exclusive presentations of the NBA Draft, Draft Lottery and NBA All-Star Celebrity Game, as well as the yearly NBA Pre-Draft Camp via ESPNU.
  • Enhanced digital media rights to have the NBA deliver content for 17 platforms, including: ABC; ABC HD; ESPN; ESPN HD; ESPN2; ESPN2 HD; ESPNEWS; ESPN Classic; ESPN Deportes; ESPN International; ESPN Radio; ESPN.com; ESPN360.com; ESPN Mobile Publishing; ESPN Mobile TV; ESPNU; and ESPN podcasts.
  • Opportunities to stream ABC, ESPN, and ESPN2 games on a live, delayed and on-demand basis across all of its multimedia platforms.
  • Expanded international rights for game and studio telecasts to Latin America, the Middle East, Africa, Oceania, cruise lines and studio programming to Europe.
  • Extension of agreements covering ESPN Radio, ESPN Classic and ESPN Deportes.

    NBA TV
  • 96 regular season games on Mondays, Tuesdays and Saturdays.
  • Up to nine Playoff games.
  • Enhanced package of digital media opportunities.

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