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Warner Bros. Discovery threatens legal action against NBA over media rights
NBA league reportedly has rejected Warner Bros. Discovery's bid to match Prime Video’s $1.8 billion per year offer.
It said, “We think they have grossly misinterpreted our contractual rights with respect to the 2025-26 season and beyond, and we will take appropriate action. We look forward, however, to another great season of the NBA on TNT and Max including our iconic Inside the NBA,” says TNT Sports (Warner Bros. Discovery).
Soon after the National Basketball Association (NBA) announced 11-year media rights deals with the Walt Disney Company, NBCUniversal and Amazon Prime Video which includes streaming and broadcast distribution starting with the 2025-26 season, it stirred up conflicts with Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD).
The league, apparently, has rejected WBD's bid to match Prime Video’s $1.8 billion per year offer.
While announcing the deal, the NBA said that WBD's offer "did not match the terms of Amazon Prime Video's offer."
“The digital opportunities with Amazon align perfectly with the global interest in the NBA. And Prime Video’s massive subscriber base will dramatically expand our ability to reach our fans in new and innovative ways,” added NBA Commissioner Adam Silver.
Result of this, WBD reportedly is threatening to sue the league. It has to be noted if it loses the legal battle, it could damage WBD's reputation in any future media rights talks with other leagues.
WBD's TNT Sports now has released a statement on NBA media rights. According to it, WBD matched Amazon’s offer as is its right under an existing contract and do not believe the NBA can reject it.
TNT Sports is a division of WBD and is considered a global leader in the delivery of premium sports content.
It said, “We think they have grossly misinterpreted our contractual rights with respect to the 2025-26 season and beyond, and we will take appropriate action. We look forward, however, to another great season of the NBA on TNT and Max including our iconic Inside the NBA.”
SPOTLIGHT
As India eyes global leadership in media, entertainment and gaming, Storyboard18's Digital Entertainment Summit, set to take place on June 27 in the capital, will spotlight the bold strategies, policy pathways and creative innovations shaping the future of the industry.
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