The NBA’s basketball-related income (BRI) for the 2024/25 season came in at $10.247MM, as first reported by Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report (Twitter link) and as outlined in greater detail by Kurt Badenhausen of Sportico. That total was less than projected, resulting in player salaries being reduced by a total of approximately $484MM for ’24/25.
The NBA’s Collective Bargaining Agreement calls for players to earn 51% of the NBA’s BRI in each season, and the league holds back a percentage of player salaries in order to ensure that revenue split is achieved. In 2024/25, 10% of player salaries were held in escrow, and 91% of that money in escrow was ultimately sent to the teams, with just 9% going to the players.
As a result, players earned just 90.9% of their reported salaries in 2024/25. For a player like Warriors star Stephen Curry, who had the NBA’s highest ’24/25 cap hit at $55.76MM, that would mean his actual earnings were about $5MM less than that.
Badenhausen suggests overall league revenue came in lower than originally anticipated due to a variety of factors, including a turbulent year for local media deals. The fact that multiple small-market teams – including the Pacers and the champion Thunder – made deep playoff runs also likely reduced the overall gate receipts for the playoffs, he adds.
While players came out on the wrong end of the escrow split this season, that isn’t always the case. As Badenhausen points out, in three straight seasons from 2014-17, league revenue surged to the point that players not only got back the full amount of their salaries held in escrow but also received supplemental checks to ensure the BRI split was met.
Conversely, during the COVID-shortened seasons, the league held back a higher percentage of player salaries in escrow due to the lost revenue.
The players shouldn’t have to worry about receiving their full salaries in 2025/26, Badenhausen writes, with the league’s new media deals taking effect. The NBA will be collecting roughly $7 billion annually as a result of their 11-year, $76+ billion agreements with ESPN/ABC (Disney), NBC, and Amazon, beginning this season. The league’s previous media deal with Disney and Warner Bros. Discovery (TNT) was worth $24 billion over nine seasons, or about $2.7 billion per year.
Atl’s own Christian Anderson (who helped lead Texas Tech to the Elite 8 a few months ago) is dominating his matchup with Dash Daniels early on & his German squad is up 25-14 on Australia here late in the 1st qtr of their qf matchup. Daniels (Dyson’s brother) been sorta underwhelming so far but UConn commit Jacob Furphy is playing great for Australia tho. Furphy has been Australia’s best player in the tournament. Germany’s big man Eric Reibe, is also going to UConn next season & he’s been great in this World Cup as well… link to m.youtube.com
Australia’s backcourt of Dash/Furphy is currently 2-12 from the field, meanwhile Christian Anderson has 13pts & is 3-3 from trey. That tells a lot of the story, Germany has opened up an impressive 19pt lead under 3mins left in the half
Please get familiar with Christian Anderson. It’s gonna be extremely interesting if/when he gets to match up vs Team USA in the gold medal game… link to m.youtube.com
German lead had got up to 23 but back2back treys from Furphy & Syracuse commit Luke Fennell have cut it down to 15 w/ under 3mins left in the 3rd
Fennell knocks down another trey & gets a driving layup to cut the lead further down to 10. Fennell (is currently on fire &) plays very similar to his future teammate Kiyan Anthony. That Cuse team led by my guy Nait George is gonna be extremely interesting as will the whole ACC which should be much stronger this season
Australia has cut the lead down to 7 going to the 4th qtr. Furphy & esp Luke Fenell came alive in that 3rd. Germany put it on autopilot way too early & now they’re in a fight with some Australians in a knockout game w/ 10 mins to go…
Sheesh, they’re still hot. Furphy starts off the 4th with a deep NBA range trey to cut the lead to 4
Smh refs just foul out Dash on an absolutely terrible call then the Aussies compound that by missing a wide open layup. Germany up 7 just under 4mins left
Australia gave it a good shot, played rly well in the 3rd but just came up against a better team. I def favor them vs Israel tmrw but that should be a good game.
Meanwhile Germany will move on to face Slovenia in the semis in a rematch of a great game from last weekend. It’s crystal clear that there are multiple future NBA players on this squad. Steinbach prob their best prospect but I def see Anderson as a 1st rd pg next summer as well
Find your own blog please.
Please talk about the actual article.
I don’t mind those updates, especially when they are dry, informative, and don’t turn into rants a-la “The USA won everything there was to win at youth level this year, where are those who speak about America’s basketball decline!?” :)
It’s because the NBA has become boring with few players or teams fans really want to watch.
Because you wish this to be true doesn’t mean it is true. If you find something boring yet feel compelled to comment on a site devoted to that “something” one must wonder why you’re here. Perhaps you’re bored, but as only boring people get bored …
The NBA is loaded with great players right now, young, old, domestic and international. I guess everyone is entitled to an opinion but yours is pretty dumb one tbh.
Political office in your future based on that flip flop. English as a second language?
It’s the canary in the coal mine. But, due to the phase-in of cap increases, everyone gets a 3-4 year reprieve. Still, a competent group of owners would take a hard look at what’s happening under the surface because the type of negative trends there aren’t easily reversed.
And yet all the genius “real sports fans” told me a Pacers-Thunder final would have zero impact on the revenue numbers. Whoops.
Not mentioned in this is the effect the punitive second apron may be having as well. But, hey, that is what the players voted for. Can’t complain.
Dude you don’t have to know the business side of things entirely to enjoy the sport. You were probably communicating with 14 year old fans. Whoops
Sounds like it was media rights issues that will be fixed next year. If only Lakers Knicks made the finals each year, numbers would eventually fall off a cliff.
I don’t want a situation like MLB has with mega teams that make our “super teams” laughable.
The league is on life support and about to get surpassed by the WNBA.
That’s what happens when you only market 4 teams out of 30.
Casual fans don’t even know who Jokic is even though he’s 3 of the last 5 MVP’s and finished 2nd in the two that he didn’t and won a championship.
With all of these Ticky-tacky money related rules, exemptions, exceptions, two way contracts, qualifying offers, buyouts, camp deals, minimum salaries, maximum salaries, luxury tax, rookie scale contracts, player options, team options, restricted free agents, unrestricted free agents, exhibit 10 contracts, stretch of remaining salary, second round pick exemption, etc.; just keeping track of what goes on with the NBA requires a CPA. Can’t the NBA eliminate/simplify all of these BS rules and get back to just playing the game?? Let the CPA’s get back to doing other things!!