NBA Commissioner Adam Silver attends the Allen & Company Sun Valley Conference on July 10, 2024 in Sun Valley, Idaho.
David Grogan | CNBC
Warner Bros. Discovery Agreed to end its demand to have a slate of live National Basketball League (NBA) games in the United States through the 2025-26 season and beyond, resolving all legal disputes with the league.
Warner Bros. Discovery Sued the NBA in Julyclaiming the league failed to allow media companies to use its so-called matching rights during a series of live games.
The Alliance has selected three media partners— disney, Comcast NBCUniversal and Amazon Prime Video — will be its U.S. live game distributor for the 11th consecutive year starting next season. According to previous reports by CNBC, the total value of the deal, including WNBA games, is approximately $77 billion.
The settlement with Warner Bros. Discovery announced Monday, along with a separate agreement between Warner Bros. Discovery and ESPN, will allow the company to remain involved in some NBA content, production partnerships and licensing deals. However, after this season, Turner Sports officially ended its 40-year relationship with the NBA as the operator of live games in the United States.
Turner Sports has offered NBA packages since 1984 and has broadcast games on cable network TNT since 1988. there are several reasonsincluding a loss of confidence in the long-term future of cable TV as a way to attract younger viewers.
Disney and Comcast own broadcast networks that show NBA games, while Amazon’s package is dedicated to streaming.
Terms of the settlement give Warner Bros. Discovery’s TNT Sports free access to highlights from the company’s Bleacher Report digital news site and its social media platforms Highlight Home In the next 11 years, according to a person familiar with the matter. The deal also allows Warner Bros. Discovery to license, create and distribute new and existing NBA content across its media properties and includes live game rights in the Nordic countries, Poland and Latin America (excluding Brazil and Mexico).
The agreement also extends the partnership between NBA Digital and TNT Sports for five more seasons, allowing the NBA to engage Warner Bros. Discovery Channel to provide promotions and “a variety of services, including production, content development and sales operations services,” according to a statement. ”. .
The settlement gives Warner Bros. Discovery guaranteed NBA revenue for several years. The league will not pay Warner Bros. Discovery any additional fees beyond the terms of the settlement, people familiar with the matter said.
“Inside the NBA”
TNT’s popular “Inside the NBA” broadcast program will be licensed to Disney’s ESPN and ABC to broadcast top NBA regular season and playoff games (including the Finals). ESPN’s current NBA studio show “Countdown” will continue to air during other ESPN regular season games.
Charles Barkley on NBA Insider
Source: NBA on TNT
TNT Sports will continue to produce “Inside the NBA,” starring Ernie Johnson Jr., Charles Barkley, Kenny Smith and Shaquille O’Neal. According to Warner Bros. Discovery, the four hosts will remain with the show for the duration of their contracts and may develop other new content for Warner Bros. Discovery’s cable and streaming platforms, including “Inside,” which is currently in development for next season. Sports” programs and other programs. company. ESPN has protections in the deal that would allow ESPN to stop licensing the show if a key host leaves, according to two people familiar with the matter.
According to people familiar with the matter, it is unclear whether “Inside the NBA” will include TNT or ESPN branding when it airs on Disney platforms next year. While TNT Sports has full editorial control over the show, ESPN talent may work with the hosts, people familiar with the matter said.
“The opportunity to continue filming the iconic, Emmy Award-winning Inside the NBA is a huge win for basketball fans around the world,” NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said in a statement. “We We look forward to establishing a long-term partnership with TNT Sports to jointly promote NBA content on WBD and the NBA’s important platforms.”
Disney and Warner Bros. Discovery Channel have collaborated multiple times over the past year, including Streaming media package Linking Warner Bros. Discovery Channel’s Max service to Disney+ and Disney’s Hulu with a sports focus A joint venture called Venu The project is still pending due to antitrust issues.
As part of a settlement that does not involve the NBA, ESPN will allow TNT to broadcast 13 Big 12 football games and 15 men’s basketball games per season starting in 2025. Sources revealed that because most games will be broadcast exclusively on ESPN+.
ESPN enters into similar sublicensing deal with Warner Bros. Discovery for College Football Playoff first round and quarterfinals earlier this year.
consolation prize
The deal gives Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav something to get after failing to reach an agreement with the league during an exclusive negotiating window earlier this year.
“Together, these agreements ensure fans will continue to enjoy TNT’s ‘Inside the NBA’ and create significant value across our entire portfolio as we accelerate TNT Sports, Bleacher Report, House of Highlights and our Global sports business development.
Silver told CNBC last month that the league “absolutely” could have reached an agreement with Warner Bros. Discovery, but leadership from both parties never reached an agreement.
“We don’t have long-term relationships with the current operators at Warner Bros. Discovery,” Silver said. “Ideally, in those relationships, people don’t take out the contract and say Page 8 Third paragraph. You are saying that you understand the spirit of what you are trying to achieve and that you are willing to adjust to changes. So when you actually look at the contract, that is a sign that the partnership is not going well.
Revealed: Comcast-owned NBCUniversal is the parent company of CNBC.
