“We’re proud of how we have delivered for basketball fans by providing best-in-class coverage throughout our four-decade partnership with the NBA. In an effort to continue our long-standing partnership, during both exclusive and non-exclusive negotiation periods, we acted in good faith to present strong bids that were fair to both parties,” WBD said in a statement. “Regrettably, the league notified us of its intention to accept other offers for the games in our current rights package, leaving us to proceed under the matching rights provision, which is an integral part of our current agreement and the rights we have paid for under it.”

People familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press that Amazon’s offer included a provision to pay multiple years up front into an escrow account, which many thought would make it hard to match. However, WBD has told the league it has the financial resources to be able to do that.

The Amazon provision was first mentioned by “The Ringer’s” Bill Simmons on “The Town” podcast.

The people spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because they weren’t at liberty to discuss such impending matters.

WBD is paying $1.4 billion per season under the current nine-year deal, which expires after next season.

Even though WBD is making a huge financial commitment, it is a necessary one. Without the NBA, it would have had a hard time charging its current subscriber fees to cable and satellite companies.

Retaining the NBA would also mean that the popular “Inside the NBA” show would continue. Charles Barkley had been critical of WBD’s negotiating posture and was not optimistic about it matching. Barkley announced at the end of this season that he intended to retire after next season.

It is expected that the NBA would announce the finality of the media deals sometime this week.

ESPN and ABC, which will keep the league’s top package, will have a conference finals every year as well as the NBA Finals. NBC and WBD would alternate which one carries one of the conference finals series.

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