It’s unclear whether TNT Sports will broadcast the NBA after next season, but they’ll definitely be broadcasting more college basketball.
Warner Bros. Discovery’s sports division has signed on as the broadcast partner for The Players Era Festival, a spinoff of The Players Era, the name, image and likeness (NIL) brand created by Ian Orefice’s Everwonder Studios. The festival will combine two tournaments (with cash prizes for the winning teams) with “opportunities for players from participating teams to participate in more than $1 million in NIL opportunities outside of competition.”
The 2024 festival will kick off on Nov. 26 and feature eight teams, including Alabama, Rutgers, Texas A&M and San Diego State, playing 12 games, and the company said it plans to feature 18 teams in the 2025 edition.
The game will carry on WBD’s linear networks (including TNT and TruTV) and stream on Max.
Publicis Sports and MGM Resorts are also partners, with matches being held at the MGM Grand Garden Arena and Publicis clients getting early access to advertising and sponsorship opportunities.
TNT Sports has been actively pursuing new sports rights deals in recent months as the future of its NBA contract fades. The NBA has inked new deals with NBC Sports, Amazon and Disney, but WBD has since sued the NBA in an attempt to match Amazon’s offer.
The company has acquired rights to broadcast games from the French Open, NASCAR, some college football and even the up-and-coming Savannah Bananas baseball team, but if the NBA were to disappear for good, its main draw would be the college basketball tournament March Madness, and its Players Era Festival would be a fall celebration following the spring tradition.
“We are honored to partner with legendary companies in their fields – TNT Sports, Publicis Sports and MGM Resorts International – to exponentially increase Players Era’s impact on college basketball players and fans,” said Ian Orefice, CEO of Ever Wonder Studios. “TNT Sports is the best in the world when it comes to college basketball and must-see sporting events, Publicis is leading the way innovating how brands engage with the passionate sports community, and MGM Resorts offers a winning combination of a rich history of historic moments in sports and first-class on-site experiences for college basketball and sports fans.”
“For more than a decade, TNT Sports has been at the forefront of the growth of championship-level college basketball showcases,” said Rafael Poplock, senior vice president of acquisitions, business development and partnerships for TNT Sports. “Interest in the space has exploded, and we’re excited to collaborate across our platforms to present the inaugural Players Era Festival, which will help make college basketball’s thrilling competition even more accessible to fans and advance opportunities for college athletes.”