Warner Bros. Discovery has reportedly reached a settlement with the National Basketball Association (NBA) in a lawsuit over broadcasting rights, ensuring the media giant will continue to be involved with the league for at least the next decade. This agreement ends a legal battle that erupted after the NBA signed new deals with ESPN, NBCUniversal, and Amazon, leaving Warner Bros. Discovery’s TNT network without game broadcasts after this season.
The agreement allows Warner Bros. Discovery to create new NBA-focused programming in the U.S. and internationally. It also grants the company international NBA broadcasting rights in certain European and Latin American markets, excluding Mexico and Brazil, per a report from the Wall Street Journal.
“Inside the NBA” Moves to ESPN and ABC
In a separate agreement, Warner Bros. Discovery will license its popular “Inside the NBA” show, featuring Charles Barkley and Shaquille O’Neal, to ESPN and ABC starting next season.
College Sports and NASCAR Fill the Void
To compensate for the loss of NBA games on TNT, Warner Bros. Discovery will gain sublicensing rights to Big 12 conference college football and basketball games from ESPN. The company also recently secured a new deal for NASCAR, further bolstering its sports offerings. This is reportedly apart of the deal with Disney to get rights to Inside the NBA.
Strategic Implications:
This settlement allows Warner Bros. Discovery to maintain a presence in the lucrative sports media market, even without live NBA game broadcasts. The company’s focus on digital content and international rights reflects its strategy to adapt to the changing media landscape and diversify its offerings.
Looking Ahead:
The new agreement with the NBA runs for 11 years. Bidding for NBA TV rights is expected to start again around 2033, when Warner Bros. Discovery will be able to try again to gain rights to the NBA.