NBA says Amazon will be its new media partner, rebuffing Warner Bros. Discovery
The National Basketball Association has rebuffed longtime media partner Warner Bros.
The National Basketball Association has rebuffed longtime media partner Warner Bros. Discovery’s bid to keep airing games after next season.
The NBA told the media company it doesn’t believe it holds legal matching rights for the league’s new media deal. It instead plans to move ahead with Amazon as its third partner, along with ESPN and NBCUniversal, in its 11-year deal worth about $77 billion.
“Warner Bros. Discovery’s most recent proposal did not match the terms of Amazon Prime Video’s offer and, therefore, we have entered into a long-term arrangement with Amazon,” the NBA said in a statement Wednesday.
Warner Bros. Discovery acquired matching rights as part of its current media rights deal with the league, which expires at the end of next season. That provision allows the company to match payment for any of the games that air on TNT, which it attempted to do Monday.
The NBA doesn’t believe Warner Bros. Discovery’s rights extend to an all-streaming package, which was carved out for Amazon. Warner Bros. Discovery also owns a streaming service, Max, which it could use to air games, but the company has told the NBA it plans to simulcast TNT games on Max rather than only putting them on Max.
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