WBD Intends To Match Amazon's $1.8 Billion Per Year Media Rights Deal With NBA

Post #1 » by **RealGM Wiretap** » Wed Jul 17, 2024 8:39 pm

Warner Bros. Discovery intends to match Amazon's "C" package for NBA media rights, sources tell Tom Friend of the Sports Business Journal. The NBA will soon turn over three written contracts to WBD in ESPN's $2.6 billion per year bid, NBC's $2.5 billion per year bid, and Amazon's $1.8 billion per year bid. WBD CEO David Zaslav will have five days to match either NBC or Amazon's bid.

Zaslav believes Amazon's deal that contains alternating Conference Finals, a Thursday package, Friday or Saturday games, NBA Cup, early round playoffs and international rights is the most fiscally responsible package for them. WBD can potentially use its own streaming service, Max, while also airing games on TNT.

The NBA is expected to argue that Max is not the equal to Amazon as the former has a reach of 100 million worldwide compared to 200 million with the latter.

Via Tom Friend/Sports Business Jornal

docholliday99 · Post #2 » by **docholliday99** » Wed Jul 17, 2024 8:56 pm

Sounds like there's going to be a package D coming.

Pickled Prunes · Post #3 » by **Pickled Prunes** » Wed Jul 17, 2024 9:12 pm

I hope so. I have Prime and watching sports on that platform seems altogether unappealing.

tigerae · Post #4 » by **tigerae** » Wed Jul 17, 2024 9:55 pm

Pickled Prunes wrote:I hope so. I have Prime and watching sports on that platform seems altogether unappealing.

Yeah, agreed. Netflix would have been the same as well. I'm happy that it sounds like TNT will still continue to have the NBA. It wouldn't have been the same without Ernie and the gang.

NUMBERICA · Post #5 » by **NUMBERICA** » Wed Jul 17, 2024 10:29 pm

Hell yeah. Get Amazon the **** out of here with their bull **** and keep the best basketball show in television on the air.

FrodoFraggins · Post #6 » by **FrodoFraggins** » Wed Jul 17, 2024 10:41 pm

The NBA reportedly has struggled to have confidence in WBD's long-term financial viability as the company is worth approximately $17 billion with $40 billion in debt.

How is that a viable company?

rocarlos24 · Post #7 » by **rocarlos24** » Wed Jul 17, 2024 10:59 pm

docholliday99 wrote:Sounds like there's going to be a package D coming.

Did you open wide while typing this??? This is a crazy statement

docholliday99 · Post #8 » by **docholliday99** » Wed Jul 17, 2024 11:13 pm

rocarlos24 wrote:
docholliday99 wrote:Sounds like there's going to be a package D coming.

Did you open wide while typing this??? This is a crazy statement

The league has 3 media packages of various levels, previously reported as A; - 2.6b ESPN; B - 2.5b NBCUniversal; and C - 1.8b Amazon. There was a "what-if" discussion that started in the event that WBD matched C, potentially creating a 4th package colloquially called D.

Nothing so crude as what you're alluding to

MitchB3 · Post #9 » by **MitchB3** » Thu Jul 18, 2024 12:01 am

NUMBERICA wrote:Hell yeah. Get Amazon the **** out of here with their bull **** and keep the best basketball show in television on the air.

I say get rid of the entire peacock/nbc package.

tigerae · Post #10 » by **tigerae** » Thu Jul 18, 2024 1:03 am

MitchB3 wrote:
NUMBERICA wrote:Hell yeah. Get Amazon the **** out of here with their bull **** and keep the best basketball show in television on the air.

I say get rid of the entire peacock/nbc package.

I like NBA on NBC coming back honestly.

Pickled Prunes · Post #11 » by **Pickled Prunes** » Thu Jul 18, 2024 2:23 am

FrodoFraggins wrote:
The NBA reportedly has struggled to have confidence in WBD's long-term financial viability as the company is worth approximately $17 billion with $40 billion in debt.

How is that a viable company?

Most Americans are in Debt. (The USA owes about 35 Trillion in debt.) I owe far more on my home than I bring in in a year. Many people owe more on their home than the home is worth, but as long as they don't default everything is peachy.

tidho · Post #12 » by **tidho** » Thu Jul 18, 2024 4:29 am

FrodoFraggins wrote:
The NBA reportedly has struggled to have confidence in WBD's long-term financial viability as the company is worth approximately $17 billion with $40 billion in debt.

How is that a viable company?

Debt was acquired via acquisitions, not to finance operating losses. As long as they're earning more than it costs to service the debt, all is well.

eureca20 · Post #13 » by **eureca20** » Thu Jul 18, 2024 5:04 am

NUMBERICA wrote:Hell yeah. Get Amazon the **** out of here with their bull **** and keep the best basketball show in television on the air.

Charles said he is retiring after this next season, whether TNT kept the NBA or not. He is the reason it's the best basketball show on television. Replace him with Grant Hill, Vince Carter and/or Draymond and it very quickly could go down the toilet.

objectivefan · Post #14 » by **objectivefan** » Thu Jul 18, 2024 1:01 pm

rocarlos24 wrote:
docholliday99 wrote:Sounds like there's going to be a package D coming.

Did you open wide while typing this??? This is a crazy statement

Agreed, that was a crazy statement. LOL, I can't believe he said it. funniest statement of the week

haste10176 · Post #15 » by **haste10176** » Thu Jul 18, 2024 1:36 pm

tidho wrote:
FrodoFraggins wrote:
The NBA reportedly has struggled to have confidence in WBD's long-term financial viability as the company is worth approximately $17 billion with $40 billion in debt.

How is that a viable company?

Debt was acquired via acquisitions, not to finance operating losses. As long as they're earning more than it costs to service the debt, all is well.

All is not well they have cut deeply into their profitable shows they have little money to invest to keep going.. It is likely they will eventually fall over their ceo meanwhile pocketed 250mil in one year.. I still cant see the NBAs arguement winning in court though they have match rights and would be inferred in money not audience reach.

BasketballJosh · Post #16 » by **BasketballJosh** » Thu Jul 18, 2024 3:19 pm

eureca20 wrote:
NUMBERICA wrote:Hell yeah. Get Amazon the **** out of here with their bull **** and keep the best basketball show in television on the air.

Charles said he is retiring after this next season, whether TNT kept the NBA or not. He is the reason it's the best basketball show on television. Replace him with Grant Hill, Vince Carter and/or Draymond and it very quickly could go down the toilet.

That's what Barkley SAYS, but what he often does is a completely different thing. I'm confident he'll be back.

But, once Draymond hangs it up he should be Chuck's replacement.

NUMBERICA · Post #17 » by **NUMBERICA** » Fri Jul 26, 2024 6:51 pm

BasketballJosh wrote:
eureca20 wrote:
NUMBERICA wrote:Hell yeah. Get Amazon the **** out of here with their bull **** and keep the best basketball show in television on the air.

Charles said he is retiring after this next season, whether TNT kept the NBA or not. He is the reason it's the best basketball show on television. Replace him with Grant Hill, Vince Carter and/or Draymond and it very quickly could go down the toilet.

That's what Barkley SAYS, but what he often does is a completely different thing. I'm confident he'll be back.

But, once Draymond hangs it up he should be Chuck's replacement.

Draymond should go to hell.