This offseason has been a particularly busy one for the NBA, as the league is busy renegotiating the rights to its TV broadcasts. TNT and its parent company Warner Bros. Discovery has been home to NBA games for decades, but following this latest round of negotiations, it seems like that could be set to change. While the league will continue its partnership with Disney and its two channels ABC and ESPN, it’s also brought in new partners in NBC and Amazon. And Warner Bros. Discovery is not happy about the change.
“We have matched the Amazon offer, as we have a contractual right to do, and do not believe the NBA can reject it,” a statement from Warner Bros. says. “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.”
The statement continues by threatening legal action, saying that the NBA has “grossly misinterpreted” Warner Bros.’s contractual rights.
Inside the NBA, the popular show that airs on TNT throughout the NBA season, could be going by the wayside following the 2024-2025 season when TNT loses its NBA rights. What’s more, both TNT and Max are likely to be hurt by this deal, as it will decrease the advertising revenue coming in through TNT, which will, in turn, lower the amount of funding available for Max.
NBA games get ratings like few other events on TV these days, which is part of the reason they’re so sought after. In an era when everything is increasingly fragmented, sports are one of the last things that people still watch live.
