Warner Bros. Discovery tells NBA it will match Amazon Prime Video’s bid to stream games

Turner Sports intends to continue its long-standing relationship with the NBA.

Warner Bros. Discovery informed the league on Monday that it will match Amazon Prime Video’s $1.8 billion-a-year offer. Turner has had an NBA package since 1984 and the games have been on TNT since the network launched in 1988.

“We analyzed the offers and combined one of them. This will allow fans to continue enjoying our unparalleled coverage, including the industry’s best live game productions and our iconic studio shows and talent, while building on our proven 40-year commitment for many more years to come.” Warner Bros. declaration. “Our corresponding documentation was submitted to the league today. We look forward to the NBA executing our new contract.”

The NBA Board of Governors approved the league’s decision 11-year media rights agreements with Disney, NBC and Amazon Prime Video at their meeting in Las Vegas last Tuesday. WBD received all three contracts on Wednesday, which started the five-day clock to decide whether to match.

The new deals – worth a total of $76 billion – will begin with the 2025-26 season and will include a nationally televised game every night during the second half of the season.

The Prime Video offering has games on Thursday night after the NFL games end. His other nights are Friday and Saturday.

Amazon Prime Video has not commented on WBD’s intention to match.

An NBA spokesperson said the league is reviewing the corresponding offer.

If the NBA accepts the corresponding offer, TNT will likely air the games on Thursday, with the other nights airing on Max.

The CEO of Warner Bros. Discovery’s David Zaslav sounded an ominous note when he said during an RBC investor conference in November 2022 that Turner and WBD “don’t need to have the NBA.”

Warner Bros. Discovery and the league were unable to reach an agreement during the exclusive negotiation period, which expired in April. Zaslav and TNT Sports President/CEO Luis Silberwasser have said over the past two months, however, that they intend to match one of the deals.

“We are proud of how we have served basketball fans by providing best-in-class coverage throughout our four-decade partnership with the NBA. In an effort to continue our long-standing partnership, during exclusive and non-exclusive negotiation periods, we acted in good faith to present strong proposals that were fair to both parties,” WBD said in a statement. “Regrettably, the league has notified us of its intention to accept other offers for the games in our current rights package, leaving us to proceed under the matching rights provision, which is an integral part of our current agreement and the rights for which we have paid under this.”

People familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press that Amazon’s offer included a multi-year advance payment clause in an escrow account, which many thought would make it difficult to match. However, WBD has told the league it has the financial resources to do so.

Amazon’s provision was first mentioned by Bill Simmons of “The Ringer” on “The Town” podcast.

The people spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because they were not free to discuss such imminent matters.

WBD is paying $1.4 billion per season under the current nine-year deal, which expires after next season.

Although WBD would make a huge financial commitment, it is a necessary commitment. Without the NBA, it would have been difficult to charge current subscription fees to cable and satellite companies.

Keeping the NBA would also mean that the popular show “Inside the NBA” would continue. Charles Barkley was critical of WBD’s negotiating stance and was not optimistic about their correspondence. Barkley announced at the end of this season that he intended to retire after next season.

The NBA is expected to announce the finality of the media agreements later this week.

ESPN and ABC, which will maintain the main league package, will have conference finals every year, as well as the NBA Finals. NBC and WBD would alternate which one would carry one of the conference final series.

The return of NBC, which aired NBA games from 1990 to 2002, would give the league two broadcast network partners for the first time.

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