Report: NBA’s next TV deal may exceed $2 billion

The NBA scheduled a news conference for Monday morning regarding its new media partnerships, and it is expected to report on the status of an extension with ESPN and Turner.

The Sports Business Journal reported the parties were close to agreeing to a deal that would more than double the league’s annual rights fee to an average of more than $2 billion per year.

One source told the Sports Business Journal that ESPN already has committed to pay “well over” $1 billion per year. Turner is expected to pay nearly that much for its part of the rights-extension pact that would take effect in the 2016-2017 season. The new pact is expected to be an eight-year deal, although the report said one source suggested it could be for nine years.

The current eight-year deals ends in June 2016. ESPN pays $485 million per year and Turner pays $445 million per year on average in the current agreement.