This is a little late; blame NBA.com's tardiness putting up the story, but the NBA will stay on ABC, ESPN, and TNT through 2016, well after just about all other leagues will have to renew their agreements. So far as people watching TV will be able to tell, it will be status quo, unless they happen to watch NBA TV try to become as close to the NFL Network as the NBA is to the NFL.
TNT will show 52 regular season games a year and up to that number of playoff games. ABC will show a minimum of 15 regular-season and the same number of playoff games, including the Finals; the ESPN family will show up to 75 regular season games and 29 playoff games.
More info at the linked article.
15 playoff games mean even with a 7-game Finals, ABC will have to show 8 playoff games, more games than Finals games. This represents a larger playoff commitment on the part of both ABC and ESPN. This and more analysis on Sports Media Watch.
NBC probably had the most successful run of any NBA TV partner, but this deal will give ABC rights for longer than NBC. Many NBA fans on the Internet have been critical of the NBA on ABC - and with gimmicks like bringing in the Pussycat Dolls to do songs for the opener, ABC makes an easy target - but the NBA and others have stated repeatedly that NBC, CBS, and Fox did not make a sufficient offer to compete, and it's absurd to blame the NBA's broadcast ratings woes to the presentation of games on ABC. If the games are good, people will turn in in spite of the presentation.
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