Report: NBC top execs uneasy over massive NBA deal

NBC is paying more for basketball than football, and some inside the company are reportedly wondering why.

The network’s $27 billion, 11-year deal with the NBA will cost about $2.5 billion per season, even more than its current Sunday Night Football package, which includes Super Bowl rights.

The move is part of NBC’s push to reclaim a major presence in the league after two decades away, but the financial strain is already raising eyebrows.

According to Joe Flint of The Wall Street Journal, several NBCUniversal executives have voiced concern that the math does not add up.

One analyst, Robert Fishman of MoffettNathanson, told the outlet that “it is hard to make the math work on generating any substantial returns.”

NBC executives have reportedly acknowledged the short-term losses. The network expects to lose between $500 million and $1.4 billion in the early years of the deal.

“All of these deals lose money discretely,” NBCU executive Dave Pietrycha told the Journal.

Comcast co-CEO Mike Cavanagh defended the decision in a company memo, writing that it was “important to take big swings when they can benefit the company over the long term.”

NBC believes the partnership will pay off through Peacock subscriptions, affiliate fees, and higher ad rates. The network now charges around $130,000 per 30-second spot, up from $50,000 when TNT held the rights.

Skeptics question whether streaming can carry that kind of weight. Most sports fans who want Peacock already have it for the Olympics, Premier League, and NFL.

To help balance that out, NBC reportedly plans to launch a new cable network to air live games that were previously exclusive to Peacock.

The goal is to turn early losses into long-term strength. But as one insider told the Journal, there’s a fine line between a bold investment and an expensive mistake.