RealGM

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

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

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

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.

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

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?

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

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.