This season is the last time TNT will have exclusive rights to broadcast NBA games. That has already paved the way for the likes of Charles Barkley and his Inside the NBA crew to broadcast via ESPN. But another entrant into the new media-rights deal, Amazon, managed to poach another TNT employee, Taylor Rooks.
After signing their 11-year near $20 billion deal with the NBA, Amazon needed a new studio to start live streaming basketball games. That also meant they needed a new crew to connect with the audience. They have already poached Ian Eagle to be their lead play caller and are flirting with the idea of having Kevin Harlan join their booth.
But Amazon needed someone who can be the face of their broadcast, someone who talks to both players as well as the audience. Taylor Rooks fits those categories well considering her previous experiences as an on-court reporter for TNT. She also has extensive experience in exclusively interviewing athletes and celebrities during her time with Bleacher Report.
But Taylor Rooks’ Amazon trial came when she was the sideline reporter for their Thursday Night Football broadcasts. That, as reported by The Athletic’s Richard Deitsch, led the conglomerate to verbally commit to a deal.
The streaming giant has a verbal agreement with Taylor Rooks to be the lead host of its NBA pregame, halftime and postgame shows, sources briefed on discussions regarding the streamer’s hirings said.
Richard Deitsch of The Athletic reported
Choosing her for all their shows suggest the streaming giant has seen enough to select her. Rooks’ time at TNT saw her mix with Barkley and Draymond Green at the All-Star game last season and deliver some hilarious content in an otherwise boring game.
Taylor Rooks moving to Amazon might not be last of TNT exits
Prior to ESPN and TNT announcing their deal to broadcast Inside the NBA, rumors were rife of several exits. Charles Barkley famously retired, and then un-retired, when TNT lost the deal, and then came back to collaborate with his production house.
But as that deal collapsed, so did the futures of several of their employees. Chris Haynes announced soon after that he was quitting TNT, which meant the network do not have an Insider at the moment. The network losing the media-rights deal meant many jobs were to become redundant.
That explains the Kevin Harlan rumors as they will not need a commentator next season. But the future of big name hires such as Vince Carter, Jamal Crawford, Candace Parker are left without a guarantee. Dirk Nowitzki used his one appearance on Inside the NBA to land a deal with Amazon Prime.
The rest could head to the streaming giant or even talk to NBC. The latter has yet to announce their plans for next season and have not made any major hires from TNT. But with the likes of host Adam Lefkoe, sideline reporter Lauren Jbara and others still available, expect some of them to be hired.
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