NBA and Warner Bros. Discovery settle legal dispute, secure international media rights agreement
NBA and Warner Bros. Discovery Reach Landmark 11-Year Media Partnership Extension
The National Basketball Association (NBA) and Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) have reached an agreement, ending a lawsuit and extending their media partnership for an additional 11 years.
Under the new deal, WBD will continue to operate the league's NBA TV U.S. cable channel and will gain live NBA game telecast rights in the Nordics (Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden), Poland, and Latin America (excluding Brazil and Mexico) for the next 11 years. However, WBD has lost out in the bidding for a new round of rights to NBA games that begins in 2025, and the new agreement does not include rights to live games on TNT in the U.S.
The agreement includes expanded digital access to NBA highlights for WBD's digital platforms Bleacher Report and House of Highlights. These platforms have been granted a global license to create, produce, and distribute new and existing NBA content across their platforms. TNT Sports, Bleacher Report, and House of Highlights will also benefit from expansive rights to content and highlights, as well as game access to produce NBA-related content.
WBD will be a strategic promotional partner for NBA League Pass and will help accelerate League Pass subscriber acquisition. Advertising for NBA properties and initiatives will run on WBD linear channels and digital platforms. In addition, WBD will provide broad reach, local-language commentary, and promotional opportunities for the NBA's marketing partners.
The media partnership between the NBA and WBD has been successful since 2009, with TNT Sports and the NBA jointly managing NBA Digital. TNT Sports has received more than 190 Sports Emmy Award nominations and 45 awards for its NBA coverage.
One of the highlights of the new deal is the continuation of the "Inside the NBA" studio show, featuring Ernie Johnson Jr., Charles Barkley, Shaquille O'Neal, and Kenny Smith. TNT Sports will produce the show for distribution on ESPN and ABC starting in 2025-26. However, the production team names specifically taking over the show for this period have not been explicitly disclosed.
The agreement also includes expanded global content and highlight rights for TNT Sports. TNT Sports will sublicense a package of Big 12 Conference college football games (13 each season) and men's college basketball games (15 each season) starting in 2025.
The new deal comes amid criticism of WBD's handling of the negotiations for the NBA rights. The NBA and WBD will reimagine and continue the NBA Digital partnership for five seasons, under which the NBA can engage WBD to provide promotion and a variety of services.
Overall, the new agreement between the NBA and WBD solidifies a long-term partnership and provides both parties with opportunities to grow and innovate in the sports media landscape.
