Part 2/8:
The departure from the NBA was no ordinary breakup. It echoed a marriage that had run its course, where financial strain and lackluster performance signaled the end. Despite offering some of the league's best coverage, TNT found itself in a position where holding onto the NBA seemed more of a financial liability than an asset. As speculation arose around TNT's profitability from NBA broadcasts, it began to emerge that the network had been losing money due to exorbitant broadcast rights fees that were not justified by viewership numbers.