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Warner Bros. Discovery is reportedly suing the NBA, after the league unveiled a $77 billion deal with NBC, ESPN, and Amazon for streaming and TV rights for the next 11 years.
CNBC initially reported the network’s intention to file a legal block to the rights deal. Reuters later confirmed the plans. Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) did not immediately reply to a request for information.
At the heart of the dispute, according to the reports, is WBD’s matching rights for competing bids. The new deal with Amazon, NBC, and ESPN will end a 40-year partnership with the Warner Bros. holding.
TNT will continue to air NBA games over the next year, while the two, once-close parties argue the case in court. (Games will also air, for now, on the Max streaming service.)
WBD has leaned heavily on its NBA partnership in promoting the TNT network and taking a partner to court could make other leagues hesitant to sign deals with the company, analysts warn. Warner, though, apparently feels its matching offer was on par with Amazon and the other companies, which would have required the NBA to stay with its current partner.
“We have matched the Amazon offer, as we have a contractual right to do, and do not believe the NBA can reject it,” Warner said in a statement Wednesday to Variety. “In doing so, they are rejecting the many fans who continue to show their unwavering support for our best-in-class coverage, delivered through the full combined reach of WBD’s video-first distribution platforms — including TNT, home to our four-decade partnership with the league, and Max, our leading streaming service. We think they have grossly misinterpreted our contractual rights with respect to the 2025-26 season and beyond, and we will take appropriate action.”
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