Luka Doncic #77 of the Dallas Mavericks against the Boston Celtics during Game 5 of the 2024 NBA Finals at TD Garden on June 17, 2024 in Boston Shoot.
Nathaniel S. Butler | Nathaniel S. Butler National Basketball Association | Getty Images
The National Basketball Association said Warner Bros. Discovery It does not intend to respect its matching rights but plans to move forward Amazon Serve as media partner.
“Warner Bros. Discovery Channel’s latest proposal is inconsistent with the terms of Amazon Prime Video’s offer, and as a result, we have entered into a long-term arrangement with Amazon,” the NBA said in a statement Wednesday.
“Throughout these negotiations, our primary goal is to maximize the reach and accessibility of our games to fans. Our new arrangement with Amazon supports this goal through complementary broadcast, cable and streaming packages, These packages have become part of our new Disney and NBCUniversal “All three partners have invested significant resources in promoting the league and enhancing the fan experience. We thank Turner Sports for their award-winning coverage of the NBA and look forward to another NBA season on TNT. “
Warner Bros. Discovery Channel said on Monday it matched one of three media rights packages from the NBA, which people familiar with the matter said were earmarked for a $1.93 billion-a-year deal for Amazon Prime Video. disney and ComcastNBCUniversal inked deals for two more packages as part of a media rights renewal worth $77 billion over 11 years for the league.
“In order to continue our long-term partnership, during both exclusive and non-exclusive negotiations, we made in good faith a strong offer that was fair to both parties. Unfortunately, the Alliance has informed us that it intends to accept additional offers from Warner Bros. Discovery.” A statement on Monday said: “We have made offers for games in the current rights package that enable us to operate under matching rights terms, which are an integral part of our current agreement and the rights we pay under that agreement. “This will allow fans to continue to enjoy our unparalleled coverage, including the best live game production in the industry as well as our iconic studio shows and talent, while building on our 40-year proven commitment continue to develop.
Warner Bros. Discovery’s Turner Sports has broadcast live NBA games for nearly 40 years. Cable network TNT is home to the hit studio show “Inside the NBA,” starring Ernie Johnson, Charles Barkley, Kenny Smith and Shaquille O’Neal. If the NBA doesn’t reach a deal with Warner Bros. Discovery Channel, the show’s future will be in doubt.
Warner Bros. Discovery Channel acquired the matching rights as part of its current media rights agreement with the league, which expires at the end of next season. The provision allows the company to match payments for any game aired on TNT.
The NBA doesn’t believe Warner Bros. Discovery Channel’s rights extend to Amazon’s full streaming package. Warner Bros. Discovery also owns the streaming service Max, which can be used to stream games.
Amazon Prime Video has more than twice as many global customers — more than 200 million, compared to Max’s roughly 100 million customers — which could make the service a more attractive platform for alliances. While Warner Bros. Discovery is only bidding for U.S. rights, the streaming rights are global, according to people familiar with the deal.
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