In this articleCMCSAAMZNWBDFollow your favorite stocksCREATE FREE ACCOUNTJalen Brunson #11 of the New York Knicks drives to the basket during the game against the Indiana Pacers during Round 2 Game 1 of the 2024 NBA Playoffs on May 6, 2024 at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. Nathaniel S. Butler | National Basketball Association | Getty ImagesWarner Bros. Discovery is considering matching an offer for the media rights to a package of National Basketball Association games as the league looks to finalize terms — but its focus could be on a potential Amazon package rather than games slated for Comcast’s NBCUniversal, according to people familiar with the matter.It’s the latest turn in what’s been a relatively messy renegotiation for Warner Bros. Discovery, one of two incumbent holders of NBA rights, along with Disney. Warner’s Turner Sports has carried NBA games for nearly 40 years.Warner Bros. Discovery continues to consider ways to partner with the NBA to broadcast a package of games as the league plans its next media partners, said the people, who asked not to be named because the discussions are private.The league is close to signing agreements with Disney, NBCUniversal and Amazon for three different packages of games, said the people, who asked not to be named because the discussions are private. If that happens without a side agreement with Warner Bros. Discovery, its CEO, David Zaslav, will have a chance to leverage matching rights that were secured — and paid for — as part of its previous deal with the league.Under the terms of that agreement, which runs out after the 2024-25 season, Warner Bros. Discovery can match a competing bid for the games it currently licenses from the NBA. Warner Bros. Discovery hasn’t yet seen the three potential packages because the league hasn’t officially signed agreements with any of its potential media partners. It also hasn’t communicated any plans on matching or not matching with the league, said the people.Still, the company has been working with its lawyers to determine how matching would work if the league carves up Warner Bros. Discovery’s current package into deals for both NBCUniversal and Amazon.Amazon has reportedly offered $1.8 billion a year for a slate of games, while NBCUniversal has offered about $2.5 billion per year, according to people familiar with the matter. The league has set up frameworks for both deals but hasn’t yet signed paperwork formalizing the bids. When it does, Warner Bros. Discovery will have five days to match, according to a person familiar with the language of the contracts.It’s possible Warner Bros. Discovery chooses not to match any of the packages, or it may push to strike a side deal with the league for either a settlement or a smaller, fourth package of games. It’s unclear whether the NBA would be amenable to either of those solutions.Spokespeople for the NBA, Warner Bros. Discovery and NBCUniversal declined to comment. Representatives from Amazon didn’t immediately return request for comment. Matching AmazonIf the current slate of NBA games aired on TNT is split into two or more packages, Warner Bros. Discovery believes it has the right to match any of those offerings, or at least the parts of them that include the current TNT games, according to people familiar with the company’s thinking.”We’ve had a lot of time to prepare for this negotiation, and we have strategies in place for the various potential outcomes,” Zaslav said earlier this month during Warner Bros. Discovery’s quarterly earnings conference call. “We have matching rights that allow us to match third-party offers before the NBA enters into an agreement with them.”David Zaslav attends the world premiere of “The Flash”, in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, U.S., June 12, 2023.Mike Blake | ReutersThat could gum up an NBA deal with either NBCUniversal or Amazon or potentially lead to a lawsuit between Warner Bros. Discovery and the league. It’s unclear if the league can reject War …
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[mwai_chat context=”Let’s have a discussion about this article:nnIn this articleCMCSAAMZNWBDFollow your favorite stocksCREATE FREE ACCOUNTJalen Brunson #11 of the New York Knicks drives to the basket during the game against the Indiana Pacers during Round 2 Game 1 of the 2024 NBA Playoffs on May 6, 2024 at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. Nathaniel S. Butler | National Basketball Association | Getty ImagesWarner Bros. Discovery is considering matching an offer for the media rights to a package of National Basketball Association games as the league looks to finalize terms — but its focus could be on a potential Amazon package rather than games slated for Comcast’s NBCUniversal, according to people familiar with the matter.It’s the latest turn in what’s been a relatively messy renegotiation for Warner Bros. Discovery, one of two incumbent holders of NBA rights, along with Disney. Warner’s Turner Sports has carried NBA games for nearly 40 years.Warner Bros. Discovery continues to consider ways to partner with the NBA to broadcast a package of games as the league plans its next media partners, said the people, who asked not to be named because the discussions are private.The league is close to signing agreements with Disney, NBCUniversal and Amazon for three different packages of games, said the people, who asked not to be named because the discussions are private. If that happens without a side agreement with Warner Bros. Discovery, its CEO, David Zaslav, will have a chance to leverage matching rights that were secured — and paid for — as part of its previous deal with the league.Under the terms of that agreement, which runs out after the 2024-25 season, Warner Bros. Discovery can match a competing bid for the games it currently licenses from the NBA. Warner Bros. Discovery hasn’t yet seen the three potential packages because the league hasn’t officially signed agreements with any of its potential media partners. It also hasn’t communicated any plans on matching or not matching with the league, said the people.Still, the company has been working with its lawyers to determine how matching would work if the league carves up Warner Bros. Discovery’s current package into deals for both NBCUniversal and Amazon.Amazon has reportedly offered $1.8 billion a year for a slate of games, while NBCUniversal has offered about $2.5 billion per year, according to people familiar with the matter. The league has set up frameworks for both deals but hasn’t yet signed paperwork formalizing the bids. When it does, Warner Bros. Discovery will have five days to match, according to a person familiar with the language of the contracts.It’s possible Warner Bros. Discovery chooses not to match any of the packages, or it may push to strike a side deal with the league for either a settlement or a smaller, fourth package of games. It’s unclear whether the NBA would be amenable to either of those solutions.Spokespeople for the NBA, Warner Bros. Discovery and NBCUniversal declined to comment. Representatives from Amazon didn’t immediately return request for comment. Matching AmazonIf the current slate of NBA games aired on TNT is split into two or more packages, Warner Bros. Discovery believes it has the right to match any of those offerings, or at least the parts of them that include the current TNT games, according to people familiar with the company’s thinking.”We’ve had a lot of time to prepare for this negotiation, and we have strategies in place for the various potential outcomes,” Zaslav said earlier this month during Warner Bros. Discovery’s quarterly earnings conference call. “We have matching rights that allow us to match third-party offers before the NBA enters into an agreement with them.”David Zaslav attends the world premiere of “The Flash”, in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, U.S., June 12, 2023.Mike Blake | ReutersThat could gum up an NBA deal with either NBCUniversal or Amazon or potentially lead to a lawsuit between Warner Bros. Discovery and the league. It’s unclear if the league can reject War …nnDiscussion:nn” ai_name=”RocketNews AI: ” start_sentence=”Can I tell you more about this article?” text_input_placeholder=”Type ‘Yes'”]
