Rejected. Warner Bros Discovery, whose TNT has been the home to NBA games and the best studio show in sports for decades, suddenly finds itself out of the pro-basketball business. The NBA has finalized a huge and long-term media deal that returned roundball (and “Roundball Rock”) to NBC (and now Peacock), introduces it to Amazon Prime Video, and remains on Disney/ABC/ESPN.
It’s a foul that the Warner Bros. Discovery corporation is taking quite personally. “We have matched the Amazon offer, as we have a contractual right to do, and do not believe the NBA can reject it,” a Wednesday statement by WBD reads.
“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 to accuse the NBA of having “grossly misinterpreted our contractual rights” and threatens legal action. A spokesperson for the NBA did not respond to IndieWire’s request for comment on this story.
Warner Bros. Discovery did not comment further. The audience for the NBA is big, and as eMarketer senior analyst Ross Benes tells IndieWire, it’s “loyal” too.
The loss of what Benes calls WBD’s “biggest programming asset” will directly result in significantly lower retransmission fees — what cable provider.