Got this note from faithful reader Paul Davidson in regards to the NBA’s new media deals with ESPN and TNT:

“Next up, further increases in my cable bill.”

Indeed, Davidson is right. A portion of that massive $24 billion payout will be paid by subscribers like you and me.

According an August story in the Wall Street Journal, cable providers pay an estimated $6.04 per month for ESPN, by far the largest of any national cable network. TNT checks in at $1.48 per month.

The story says ESPN’s rate is expected to be $8.37 by 2018, an increase of 39 percent.

Now not all of that will be paid by subscribers. However, there will be a boost of some sort.

ESPN and TNT will justify those increases by citing the costs of providing exclusive sports programming on their networks, such as the NBA.

Bottom line: When they pay, you pay too.