NBA, TNT Reportedly In Settlement Talks

[RealGM Wiretap]

The NBA and TNT Sports' parent company Warner Bros. Discovery are rumored to be in settlement talks. WBD filed a lawsuit against the NBA after the league moved forward with their new round of media deals with ESPN, NBC and Amazon. WBD argued that they had match rights for the Amazon deal.

“I know [both sides] want to solve this,” says one source. “It has to be soon. They don’t want to let it drag on,” adds another source.

While settlements are generally financial, there has been speculation of a fourth rights package being granted to TNT that would allow Inside the NBA to continue. Both companies would like to avoid a lengthy, expensive and potentially embarrassing trial. 

The NBA countered that TNT Sports’ attempt to match Amazon’s offer was actually a counteroffer. Amazon is paying an estimated $1.8 billion per year for the NBA’s “C” package. Disney (A package, $2.6 billion per year) and NBCUniversal (B package, $2.45 billion per year) are slated to be the league’s other broadcast partners starting in 2025-26. 

The NBA and WBD have upcoming hearings on Nov. 22 and Dec. 17.

Via Michael McCarthy, A.J. Perez/FrontOfficeSports

[tigerae]

The NBA is in the wrong here. For its fans I hope they can come to an agreement and have 1 or 2 nights on TNT to keep the Inside the NBA show going.

[Pickled Prunes]

The NBA is in the wrong here. For its fans I hope they can come to an agreement and have 1 or 2 nights on TNT to keep the Inside the NBA show going.

Even if it's just Thursdays.

[FeatheryTouch]

I'd also like TNT to have a slice of the pie moving forward, but the NBA coming up with a brand new rights package at this late date that wasn't available previously(and without a new round of competitive bidding?) might alienate NBC, ESPN, and Amazon and dilute their perceived product value that they just paid billions of dollars for.

A brand new broadcast deal developed exclusively for TNT seems unlikely at this point.

[grindtime22]

meh

Seems like this has always been about getting a little money on the way out for Warner. They were in on the move to bring Amazon into the group of three. NBC swept in and took their package and that would have been the one to match. Pivoting to matching Amazon was never going to happen and they absolutely knew it when they did it.

[alienpick]

The NBA is in the wrong here. For its fans I hope they can come to an agreement and have 1 or 2 nights on TNT to keep the Inside the NBA show going.

TNT below that when they failed to put an actual
offer in. If they were serious they would have bid or tried to match NBCs offer. TNT could never provide what is in Amazon's offer so it's not realistic to try and "match" it. TNT blew it and are now trying to get something when walking out the door.

[Rainwater]

The NBA is in the wrong here. For its fans I hope they can come to an agreement and have 1 or 2 nights on TNT to keep the Inside the NBA show going.

How is the NBA in the wrong? It was TNT that made the bet that NBA was overvalued and lost.

[Rainwater]

The NBA is in the wrong here. For its fans I hope they can come to an agreement and have 1 or 2 nights on TNT to keep the Inside the NBA show going.

TNT below that when they failed to put an actual
offer in. If they were serious they would have bid or tried to match NBCs offer. TNT could never provide what is in Amazon's offer so it's not realistic to try and "match" it. TNT blew it and are now trying to get something when walking out the door.

Yeah, TNT fu*ked then tried playing victim.