Warner Bros. Discovery announced that it took legal action in response to the NBA’s rejection of its offer to match Amazon’s bid for media rights. The league instead chose to stick with its $1.8 billion per year deal with the e-commerce giant.
The news of the lawsuit, filed in New York County Supreme Court, came shortly after Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) matched an agreement the NBA came to with Amazon as part of an 11-year contract with Disney, NBC, and Amazon that would pay the league roughly $76 billion.
As a former media rights partner, WBD had a clause that allowed an exclusive negotiating window and the ability to match any media rights offer agreed upon by the NBA and another partner, as previously reported by The Dallas Express.
WBD currently owns Turner Sports, which has had a media partnership with the NBA since 1984 and broadcasted those games on TNT since the network launched in 1988.
WBD said in a statement about the lawsuit that the NBA’s decision to remain with Amazon was an “unjustified rejection” and that it has now exercised its right to sue.
“We strongly believe this is not just our contractual right but also in the best interest of fans who want to keep watching our industry-leading NBA content with the choice and flexibility we offer them through our widely distributed WBD video-first distribution platforms — including TNT and Max,” the company continued, per CNN.
NBA commissioner Adam Silver chose not to address WBD’s specific claims, instead noting that the new partnerships will help the league “distribute our content across a wide range of platforms and help transform the fan experience over the next decade.”
“Our new global media agreements with Disney, NBCUniversal, and Amazon will maximize the reach and accessibility of NBA games for fans in the United States and around the world,” he added, per NBC News.
The NBA’s rejection has resulted in heavy criticism over the past weeks, as TNT broadcaster and former NBA superstar Charles Barkley said in a statement that the NBA has clearly “wanted to break up with us from the beginning” and that TNT never even had the chance to renew its deal.
“TNT matched the money, but the league knows Amazon and these tech companies are the only ones willing to pay for the rights when they double in the future. The NBA didn’t want to piss them off. It’s a sad day when owners and commissioners choose money over the fans. It just sucks,” he said, according to ESPN.
Barkley is one of the most well-known figures in NBA media due to his Hall of Fame playing career and appearances on Inside the NBA alongside Shaquille O’Neal, Kenny Smith, and Ernie Johnson.
Despite previously announcing plans to retire from television following the completion of the 2024-2025 season, new reports indicate that Barkley could be open to returning beyond the upcoming season.
Barkley recently said he would be willing to consider remaining on television if Turner Sports offers him a massive contract, stating that any contract would have to be “10 years, $210 million.”
“Turner has to come to me ASAP and they have to guarantee my whole thing or they can offer me a pay cut, which there is no chance of that happening and I’ll be (a) free agent,” explained the broadcaster, per The Athletic.
