TNT’s parent company Warner Bros. Discovery announced Monday that it will retain access to prestigious National Basketball Association content for the next 11 years under a settlement agreement with the league — but it will no longer broadcast games in the US.
However, the new agreement will allow WBD to license the network’s popular studio pregame and halftime show “Inside the NBA” to ESPN and ABC.
It also includes the rights to broadcast live games in the Nordic countries, Poland and Latin America except Brazil and Mexico.
But the deal does not include rights to live games in the crucial U.S. market, meaning TNT’s more than 40-year streak of broadcasting NBA games will end after the current season.
warner bros discovery Lawsuit filed in July over NBA’s rejection Its similar bid for media rights comes after the league announced a $77 billion deal with Walt Disney’s ESPN, Comcast-owned NBCUniversal and Amazon.
Ross Baines, senior analyst at eMarketer, said, “This settlement is a fair compromise that most NBA fans will welcome.”
“There were difficulties in WBD’s case, this concession is better than nothing.”
both sides had Entered legal discovery phase The details of the lawsuit before deciding whether to reach a settlement.
News of the deal was welcomed by investors on Wall Street as Warner Bros. Discovery’s stock rose more than 3% by Monday afternoon.
WBD — which also owns CNN after a massive merger in 2022 — is down 18% this year as the cable news channel’s ratings continue to fall.
Losing the NBA broadcast rights in the US was another blow to Warner Bros. Discovery as live sports is one of the few revenue-generating products on linear television.
The new deal between the NBA and Warner Bros. Discovery will allow the media company’s digital properties Bleacher Report and House of Highlights to continue access to NBA content.
The NBA will pay Warner Bros. Discovery $350 million over the term of the agreement to provide services to the league’s digital operations, including promotion, programming and marketing.
Most importantly for fans and viewers, the deal calls for TNT Sports to continue producing “Inside the NBA” and license the show to ESPN and ABC starting next season.
The show, which has gained massive popularity thanks to the chemistry and humor shared by co-hosts Charles Barkley, Shaquille O’Neal, Kenny Smith and Ernie Johnson, will be licensed to Disney subsidiaries, with the same characters retained. Will stay.
ESPN will continue to produce its own in-house studio shows “NBA Countdown” and “NBA Today.”
The agreement also calls for ESPN to sublicense Big 12 Conference college football and basketball games to Warner Bros. Discovery, which can broadcast them on TNT or stream them on Max.
In March, Disney and Warner Bros. Discovery signed a five-year agreement in which ESPN will sub-license College Football Playoff games beginning with the current season.
“These agreements ensure that fans will continue to enjoy TNT’s Inside the NBA and create tremendous value for our entire portfolio as we expand to TNT Sports, Bleacher Report, House of Highlights and more,” said David, CEO of Warner Bros. Discovery. “Accelerating the growth of our global sports business.” Zaslav said.
“We are pleased to partner with the NBA and Disney/ESPN and strengthen long-term rights and revenue for WBD.”
