The NBA signed its 11-year media rights deal with Disney, NBC and Amazon Prime Video on Wednesday after saying it was not accepting Warner Bros. Discovery's $1.8 billion per year offer to continue its longtime relationship with the league.

The media rights deals were approved by the league's board of governors last week and will bring the league about $76 billion over those 11 years.

WBD had five days to match a part of those deals and said it was exercising its right to do so, but its offer was not considered a true match by the NBA. That means the 2024-25 season will be the last for TNT after a nearly four-decade run -- though not long after the signing was announced, WBD said it would take "appropriate action" and said it believes the NBA has to accept its offer.

"The digital opportunities with Amazon align perfectly with the global interest in the NBA," league commissioner Adam Silver said in a statement. "And Prime Video's massive subscriber base will dramatically expand our ability to reach our fans in new and innovative ways."

Turner Sports strongly disagreed with the NBA's move, saying it believes the league "grossly misinterpreted our contractual rights."

"We have matched the Amazon offer, as we have a contractual right to do, and do not believe the NBA can reject it," TNT Sports said in a statement. "In doing so, they are rejecting the many fans who continue to show their unwavering support for our best-in-class coverage, delivered through the full combined reach of WBD's video-first distribution platforms. ... We will take appropriate action."

TNT said it continues looking forward to the coming season, "including our iconic 'Inside the NBA.'"

Under the new deal, Amazon Prime Video will carry games on Friday nights, select Saturday afternoons and Thursday night doubleheaders that will begin after the conclusion of Prime Video's "Thursday Night Football" schedule. Prime Video will also take over the NBA League Pass package from WBD.

"Warner Bros. Discovery's most recent proposal did not match the terms of Amazon Prime Video's offer and, therefore, we have entered into a long-term arrangement with Amazon," the NBA said Wednesday. "Throughout these negotiations, our primary objective has been to maximize the reach and accessibility of our games for our fans. Our new arrangement with Amazon supports this goal by complementing the broadcast, cable and streaming packages that are already part of our new Disney and NBCUniversal arrangements. All three partners have also committed substantial resources to promote the league and enhance the fan experience."

The new package on Amazon also includes at least one game on Black Friday and the quarterfinals, semifinals and championship game of the league's in-season tournament, the NBA Cup.

"Over the past few years, we have worked hard to bring the very best of sports to Prime Video and to continue to innovate on the viewing experience," said Jay Marine, global head of sports for Prime Video. "We're thrilled to now add the NBA to our growing sports lineup, including the NFL, UEFA Champions League, NASCAR, NHL, WNBA, NWSL, Wimbledon and more. We are grateful to partner with the NBA and can't wait to tip off in 2025."

ESPN and ABC will keep the league's top package, which includes the NBA Finals. ABC has carried the Finals since 2003.

ESPN/ABC will combine for nearly 100 games during the regular season. More than 20 games will air on ABC, mainly on Saturday nights and Sunday afternoons, while ESPN will have up to 60 games, mostly on Wednesday nights with some Friday games. ABC and ESPN also will combine for five games on Christmas Day and have exclusive national coverage of the final day of the regular season.

During the playoffs, ESPN and ABC will have approximately 18 games in the first two rounds each year and one of the two conference finals series in all but one year of the agreement.

Shortly after the NBA's announcement, the WNBA announced its own 11-year media rights partnerships with Disney, Amazon Prime and NBC, under which the league will receive about $200 million per year, a source told ESPN's Alexa Philippou.

Beginning with the 2025-26 season, Disney's package of WNBA and NBA games will be available to stream on its digital platforms, including on Disney+ in select markets around the world.

"As the media landscape continues to evolve, this forward-thinking agreement represents a significant and bold step in our mission to serve sports fans, anytime, anywhere, including opportunities to successfully navigate the global digital transition," ESPN chairman Jimmy Pitaro said in a statement. "Through a premium collection of regular- and post-season game rights, culminating with the NBA Finals and WNBA Finals, plus studio and original content initiatives, we look forward to building upon our legacy of innovation with the NBA and continuing to play an important role in the extraordinary growth trajectory of the WNBA."

The return of NBC, which carried NBA games from 1990 through 2002, gives the NBA two broadcast network partners for the first time.

NBC will have up to 100 regular-season games, including on Sunday night once the NFL season has ended. It will air games on Tuesdays throughout the regular season, while a Monday night doubleheader would be exclusively streamed on Peacock.

NBC will also have the All-Star Game and All-Star Saturday Night. During the playoffs, NBC and/or Peacock will have up to 28 games the first two rounds, with at least half on NBC.

NBC and Amazon also will carry one of the two conference finals series in six of the 11 years on a rotating basis. NBC will have a conference final in 2026-27 followed by Amazon the next season.

"The return of NBA basketball to the NBC Sports family comes with enormous benefits and excitement for our fans," Silver said. "And through its multiple platforms -- especially NBC and Peacock -- and its expansive resources, NBCUniversal promises to build on the deep tradition and history of the NBA on NBC."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

President Joe Biden’s unwavering support for Israel’s war in Gaza created a rift between moderates and progressives in his party. Now that he has stepped aside in the 2024 presidential race, the question is whether Vice President Kamala Harris, the presumptive Democratic nominee, would chart a different path forward as president. One early signal that she might: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed Congress on Wednesday, and Harris did not preside in her role as vice president due to a previously scheduled event she chose to attend in Indianapolis. A slew of congressional Democrats (not just progressives) decided not to attend in protest of Netanyahu’s strategy in Gaza. Harris will meet with Netanyahu one-on-one on Thursday in her ceremonial office in the Old Executive Office Building, and the Wall Street Journal reported that she is expected to tell him “it is time for the war to end in a way where Israel is secure, all hostages are released, the suffering of Palestinian civilians in Gaza ends, and the Palestinian people can enjoy their right to dignity, freedom, and self-determination.” Only days into her campaign, Harris has yet to articulate her Gaza policy, but the fact that she is not attending Netanyahu’s speech and privately communicating the urgency of a ceasefire signals that she might not follow Biden’s lead in giving the Israeli leader a “bear hug.” Biden literally embraced Netanyahu on the tarmac when the president landed in Tel Aviv in November as a symbolic gesture of unequivocal support for Israel, and has since kept the prime minister close metaphorically, offering military and financial support. If Harris does change course, even slightly, that could alter the US-Israel relationship, but could also have important electoral consequences as well. --- President Joe Biden endorsed Kamala Harris for president. Here’s what to know about her. Vice President Kamala Harris could replace Biden at the top of the Democratic ticket in 2024. * What happened last time Harris ran for president * Does Harris give Democrats a better chance in 2024? * Who could be Harris’s running mate? * Why is everyone talking about Harris and coconut trees? * Harris’s strengths and vulnerabilities as a presidential candidate --- What does Kamala Harris think about Israel and the war in Gaza? Harris has longstanding ties to the American Jewish community and Israeli interest groups. Her husband, second gentleman Doug Emhoff, is Jewish and has been at the forefront of the Biden administration’s initiative against antisemitism since Hamas’s October 7 attack on Israel. She has a good working relationship with Israeli President Isaac Herzog, who shares a passion for climate issues. She has also been on every one of the more than 20 phone calls that Biden has had with Netanyahu throughout the war. In her presidential bid, she has won the backing of major Jewish interest groups, including Democratic Majority for Israel, J Street, and the Jewish Democratic Council of America. She also has connections to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) and gave a speech at the organization’s annual conference in 2017 soon after she was elected to the US Senate, saying that one of her first acts in office was to introduce a resolution opposing a United Nations Security Council resolution condemning Israel. At the time, she said, “I believe the bonds between the United States and Israel are unbreakable.” After protesters outside Congress burned the American flag during Netanyahu’s visit, Harris issued a statement Thursday condemning that action and condemning “any individuals associating with the brutal terrorist organization Hamas, which has vowed to annihilate the State of Israel and kill Jews.” Concerning the war in Gaza, Harris has repeatedly upheld Israel’s “right to defend itself” against Hamas and emphasized that the threat posed by Hamas to Israel must be “eliminated.” This suggests she’s largely in agreement with Biden’s posture. Harris has, however, taken a sharper tone than Biden concerning Israel’s treatment of civilians in Gaza. In a high-profile speech in March, she became the first person in the Biden administration to call for an immediate ceasefire, albeit only a temporary one. She also said that the Israeli government must do more to increase the flow of aid to Gaza, “no excuses,” and called the situation in Gaza a “humanitarian catastrophe.” The version of the speech that was ultimately delivered had reportedly been softened from its original draft, which more directly criticized Israel for its obstruction of aid trucks into Gaza. She also has expressed empathy for student protesters on college campuses who are horrified by the death and destruction in Gaza and have attempted to pressure their schools into cutting ties with Israel. “They are showing exactly what the human emotion should be, as a response to Gaza,” Harris told the Nation. “There are things some of the protesters are saying that I absolutely reject, so I don’t mean to wholesale endorse their points. But we have to navigate it. I understand the emotion behind it.” If she becomes president, the Wall Street Journal reported that Harris is expected to replace some of the chief architects of the Biden administration’s strategy in Gaza, including national security adviser Jake Sullivan, Secretary of State Antony Blinken, and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin. It’s to be expected that a new president would want their own team in place, but any changes would open up possibilities for taking a different tack. Harris’s national security adviser, Philip Gordon, has emphasized diplomatic rather than military solutions in foreign policy and written extensively about the difficulties of regime change in the Middle East. That background may prove relevant as Israel seeks to root out Hamas and install a new government in Gaza. All of this suggests that Harris might be somewhat to Biden’s left on Gaza — but by how much is an open question and one that she will have to clarify. “She does have an opportunity. She’s using the right language in some instances. But we need a clearer explanation from her on where she stands,” said Abed Ayoub, national legal and policy director of the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee. And — as with Joe Biden’s campaign promises to make Saudi Arabia a pariah state — there’s always a chance that what Harris does eventually say while campaigning may change once she’s in office. Biden’s Gaza policy has been divisive Politically, Harris faces the quandary of determining if — and by how much — she should distance herself from Biden’s record on Gaza, which has fractured the Democratic base. Biden at one point paused shipments of large munitions to Israel over concerns about how they would be potentially used against civilians in Gaza but has otherwise continued to offer material support for the war, even after Israeli operations in Gaza’s southernmost city of Rafah wreaked widespread destruction. Over 39,000 Palestinians have already died in the course of the conflict, according to the Gaza Health Ministry. In May, Biden called for a deal to end the war and return the remaining Israeli hostages in Gaza, while continuing to advocate for a two-state solution to the decades-long Israeli-Palestinian conflict. But the Israeli parliament has since voted to reject a two-state solution and ceasefire talks are still ongoing two months later. On Monday, Biden promised he would deliver a ceasefire deal before he leaves office. He did not elaborate on how he plans to overcome the roadblocks that have stalled negotiations thus far. Progressives have for months been calling on Biden to halt weapons shipments to Gaza and put more pressure on Israel to end the war. Over 650,000 Democrats voted “uncommitted” in the primary to protest Biden’s policies, and the scale of the opposition to Biden in the Midwest appeared as though it could have tipped the election in Trump’s favor in swing states including Michigan and Wisconsin. Depending on how Harris positions herself, she could win back some of those voters. “I think there is excitement that [Biden] is not at the top of the ticket,” said Layla Elabed, a Palestinian American organizer in Michigan who helped lead the uncommitted movement, and the sister of Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI). “But we are also right now watching and listening to what Harris is going to do next.” Overall, however, Democrats and Republicans remain largely supportive of Israel’s campaign. Since Israel’s establishment in 1948, the US has maintained a special relationship with the country. It has been the largest cumulative recipient of American foreign aid since its founding, totaling about $310 billion (adjusted for inflation) in total economic and military assistance. For these reasons, it’s unlikely that Harris will deviate substantially from Biden on Israel — and if there is any change in her policy, it would be only slight. The question will be whether any changes can win back voters that the president has alienated without losing the voters who embraced his stance. This leaves Harris with a difficult political tightrope to walk. But unlike Biden, she isn’t weighed down with the direct responsibility for all that has happened so far. Update, July 25, 3 pm ET: This story, originally published July 24, has been updated with developments after Netanyahu’s speech to Congress.

President Joe Biden addressed the nation from the Oval Office Wednesday night in the culmination of a pivotal few weeks that saw him relinquish the Democratic presidential nomination — an act that may one day be the defining moment of his political career. The speech was an attempt to exit political life gracefully, but it also served as a reminder that only days after the president announced his unprecedented decision, the nation has already moved on. Democratic delegates quickly consolidated behind Biden’s chosen successor, Vice President Kamala Harris, and nearly 90 percent of Democratic voters surveyed said he made the right choice in a recent CNN poll conducted by SSRS. The media limelight has shifted to Harris, the new presumptive Democratic nominee, and what her presidency would look like. And Democrats have been able to refocus with renewed enthusiasm on their task at hand, which is beating former President Donald Trump. That’s left Biden suddenly in the role of elder statesman. Under extraordinary circumstances just months before the 2024 election, he’s unexpectedly fulfilled his 2020 promise to become a “bridge” to the next generation of leadership. “I decided the best way forward is to pass the torch to a new generation,” Biden said in his speech. “It is the best way to unite our nation.” Now that he’s done so, the question arises: What, if anything, is left for an outgoing president to do? Biden himself insists that his work is not done, and made it clear Wednesday night that he wants to tie up loose ends on policy. For instance, he promised to continue his efforts to protect democracy, at home and abroad. And he’s vowed to deliver a ceasefire in Gaza before he leaves office. But beyond Biden’s legacy — and the needs of the country — there’s still a campaign going on. So what role can he play in both? --- President Joe Biden endorsed Kamala Harris for president. Here’s what to know about her. Vice President Kamala Harris could replace Biden at the top of the Democratic ticket in 2024. * What happened last time Harris ran for president * Does Harris give Democrats a better chance in 2024? * Who could be Harris’s running mate? * Why is everyone talking about Harris and coconut trees? * Harris’s strengths and vulnerabilities as a presidential candidate --- What can Biden do on the campaign trail — and what should he do? Strategists and pollsters agree: Biden can be useful to Harris on the campaign trail. Biden clearly thinks so too. On Monday, he said at a campaign event in Delaware via teleconference, “I’m going to be on the road, and I’m not going anywhere.” He reiterated his support for Harris Wednesday night: “She’s tough; she’s capable. She’s been an incredible partner to me and a leader for our country.” Chuck Rocha, a former senior adviser for Sen. Bernie Sanders’s 2020 campaign, said that Biden has an opportunity to help Harris with union members and white working-class voters in Pennsylvania and Michigan — groups that helped power his 2020 victory. Evan Roth Smith, lead pollster for Blueprint, said that Biden also needs to speak to the voters who have been most loyal to him, even over the course of the last month, and tell them that it’s important that they not just turn out to vote for Harris, but knock on doors on her behalf. Fernand Amandi, a Democratic pollster, said that Biden can reassert the successes of his administration as a “political wind behind the sails of the Kamala campaign,” emphasizing her role in getting things done. But Harris also has the unusual opportunity to get a second chance at a first impression and to define herself outside of being Biden’s vice president. Voters don’t associate her as much with the issues on which they rated the administration poorly, like inflation and immigration, Roth Smith said. “So she has this important opportunity to distance herself a little bit,” he said. “It’s important to not squander that and not overly tie her to Biden.” Biden also risks generating further questions about whether or not he should continue as president until the end of his term if he participates in the kinds of campaign events in which he has proven more likely to commit verbal flubs, Amandi said. Though Amandi added that he believes Biden wouldn’t complete his term if the president and his doctors didn’t think him capable, Republicans have recently argued that Biden is not fit for office and should step down now. “There was a lot of pressure on Biden to get out there, particularly following the debate performance, and do the kinds of events that he was less comfortable doing,” Roth Smith said. “He doesn’t need to do those kinds of events anymore … We don’t necessarily need him all over the campaign trail.” That’s especially the case given that, soon, Harris will have another major surrogate on her team in the form of her vice presidential candidate. Once she chooses a running mate, “there will literally be three people who can help bring this thing home for November for the Democrats,” two of which — Harris and her vice presidential pick — can provide “a fresh-faced contrast to Donald Trump,” Rocha said. Essentially, the move for Biden experts say, is for him to help out Harris where he can, but not overexpose himself. Biden seemed to recognize Wednesday that it was time for him to take something of a step back. “I know there is a time and a place for long years of experience in public life,” he said. “There is also a time and a place for new voices, fresh voices. Yes, younger voices. That time and place is now.” What about Biden’s remaining time as president? Strategists and pollsters told me that Biden should focus on being president for the remainder of his time in office, and as he noted in his speech, that’s what he intends to do. “An important role for the president is to be this statesman, to show that Democrats can govern,” Roth Smith said. Being competent, while finding opportunities to remind voters of the accomplishments of his administration — from the Inflation Reduction Act to the bipartisan infrastructure law — is one of the best ways he can support Harris. “The Biden-Harris administration has a fantastic story to tell,” Amandi said. “It was a story that had been undermined by the legitimate concerns about whether or not the president could continue another four years.” Kyle Kondik, managing editor of Sabato’s Crystal Ball at the University of Virginia Center for Politics, said that “Biden’s ability to do anything truly substantive is muted” given that he faces a divided Congress and election season is in full swing. But there are certain things that the president can do unilaterally. For one, Americans are depending on his vast foreign policy experience at a tenuous moment for the Middle East and Europe. In his speech, he said he would seek to “bring peace and security to the Middle East” and keep rallying a coalition of nations to stop the Russian takeover of Ukraine, bolstering NATO and US allies in the Pacific. All that may not be achievable in five months, but he can work on making visible progress. Biden may also look for domestic policy wins on issues that had dogged his candidacy, including immigration and inflation, which seems to be improving in time for the Federal Reserve to likely cut interest rates later this year. He can also highlight accomplishments on lesser-known, but still incredibly popular policies such as negotiating decreases in drug prices for Americans on Medicare. On Wednesday, he highlighted proposed Supreme Court reforms and his cancer “moonshot” among his priorities. And as the administration makes progress, Biden needs to make sure he is “sharing the stage,” Roth Smith said. “If there is going to be a great inflation report or a consumer confidence report, [Harris] needs to get credit for that,” he added. That also serves the dual purpose of solidifying Biden’s legacy and increasing his approval rating, which Kondik said is also helpful to Harris. “I think President Biden will leave office in January with significantly higher approval ratings because the one obstacle to judging him in the context of his success has now been removed, which is the concern that he would seek reelection at an age where his physical limitations wouldn’t allow him to continue,” Amandi said. The stakes are still high for Democrats. Biden’s remaining time in office has the potential to lay the groundwork for a smooth transition to another Democratic administration that could protect the policies he set in motion. But as Biden himself has put it, before anyone — even Harris — can take over, he has to “finish the job.”